The Truronian - July 2021 by Truro School

the truronian TRURO SCHOOL ASSOCIATION

July 2021

SUMMER EDITION

TRURO SCHOOL ASSOCIATION

THE TRURONIAN

Development & Alumni Relations Team Jayne Grigg Director of Admissions & Development Nicky Berridge Development & Alumni Relations Manager Amanda Forde (maternity leave)

Ella Goodman

(maternity leave cover)

Development & Alumni Relations Officer(s) Jo Wood

School Researcher/Archivist Telephone: 01872 246094 Email: foundation@truroschool.com tsconnections@truroschool.com Online: truroschool.com/foundation truroschool.com/oldtruronians LinkedIn linkedin.com/groups/8527667/

Cover photo: Flag flying viewed through the Dodd Library window

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In this Edition July 2021

4 -5 F R OM T HE PR ESID ENT & T S A C HA IR 6 -7 T R URO S C HOO L L E AVERS - C O21 8 -1 3 S P E E C H DAY 2 021 1 4 -17 J I M C L A RK ( T S 1974 - 1997) 1 8 -20 DA N IE L W ORMALD CO 13 2 1 -23 DR HA RRY F ONSECA W I L L IA MS C O 10 2 4 -25 C LA U DIA MU RTON CO99 2 6 -27 J AC K HU G HES CO 04 2 8 -29 T HE S P E A K E BR O TH ERS C O 59 & C O62 3 0 -31 C H R IST IA N MAY CO 04

3 2 -33 CH ARLO TTE R I CK CO 1 3 3 4 -35 CLASS O F 0 9 TUR N 3 0 3 6 -38 H UW W I L L I AMS CO 9 7 3 9 -40 TR URO SCH O O L CO NNECTED 4 1 -43 TR URO SCH O O L FO UNDATI O N 44 A VIEW FR O M TH E CH AM B ER 4 5 -47 SCH O O L AR CH I VE: D IGGIN G FO R TH E PAST IN TH E 1 9 6 0 S 48 TR URO SCH O O L FO UNDATI O N CO MM EMO R ATI VE GAR D EN 49 NICKY B ER R I D G E (TS 20 1 6 - 2 0 2 1 )

5 0 -5 5 TR UR O CO O KERY SCH O O L 56 TR UR O SCH O O L EN TER PR I SES 57 L ET CR EATI O N B R EAT HE 5 8 -6 1 J AY N E G R I G G (TS 1 9 9 2 - 2 0 2 1 ) 6 3 -6 8 TR I B UTES AN D MEMO R I ES 69 PAUSE FO R TH O UGHT Many of you will no doubt notice that this edition of the Truronian magazine only contains two female OT features. This is because the March magazine was a ‘special edition’ honouring our female OT’s in recognition of International Women’s Day and we therefore had a back-log of male volunteers to feature. We welcome interview questionnaires from male and female OTs to learn about your careers and voluntary work. For the new academic year, beginning in September, for the first time ever the gender split for students at Truro School will be 50% female and 50% male.

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A Message from the President Perhaps because of this dedication, we are looking at a September 2021 school roll that is the healthiest it has been for a decade, including at Prep, in the Sixth Form, and at 1st Year, where we are delighted to be welcoming a cohort that is evenly numbered across boys and girls for the first time in our history. Immense credit for this must be paid to Jayne Grigg, who after 29 years of passionate and unwavering service to our School departs this summer on a high and with fully deserved fanfare. I am sure that many of those reading this will have fond memories of Jayne and if so, she almost certainly remembers you too! Also departing this summer is Ian Kenyon, who having already retired once as Head of Geology, now retires completely. As many of you will know, over Ian’s 41 years here he has been instrumental in setting up one of the most successful Geology Departments in the country. He has also inspired a generation of youngsters into the engineering, geological or mining sectors. It has been pointed out to me several times that this cannot have been the first year as Head that I was expecting. Aside from the need to constantly reinvent the operational running of the school, the most significant Covid difference has been the barriers put in the way of meeting and getting to know you and others. I know this has been frustrating for us all, and I look forward to being with more of you in person as well as in purpose next year. It has also been a year in which all in our community were shocked and appalled by the insight revealed about the experiences of some young women and men nationwide via the website Everyone’s Invited. Truro School, like all responsible educational institutions, reflects and acts over ways we can educate and help going forwards. If any alumni would like further details or would like advice over where to seek support themselves, please do get in touch. Whilst this year may not have been routine, it has still been immensely successful. The generosity of our alumni and benefactors, at a time when many of you have faced your own challenges, has allowed us to provide or enhance bursary support for pupils from families adversely affected by the pandemic. I am extremely grateful. We have still run an extensive and vibrant co-curriculum of outdoor activity, sport, and creative expression, necessarily championing the engagement and development of our pupils over and above their competitive interaction with other schools. A Truro School education will always be broad. We have also maintained excellent standards of learning and teaching in a highly challenging environment, remotely and on site, at Prep and Senior, and for day pupils and boarders. This is to the immense credit of all.

I would also like to pay a special tribute here to Nicky Berridge who departs this summer. I echo the comments of the Chair. Nicky has transformed the way we communicate with alumni by overseeing the reinvigoration of The Truronian magazine and creation of our Keeping Connected newsletter. She has enhanced the fun, functionality, and inclusivity of our networking events. She worked alongside Guy Dodd and others to create our Foundation and then with the Foundation to drive the Guy Dodd Bursary appeal. It speaks volumes for her character and values that she has stayed connected and welcoming to alumni of all ages and in all places throughout the challenging times she and we have faced over the recent years. Thank you, Nicky. As we all look ahead to next year, our community and school can be confident of building on our strength, heritage, and ambitions for the future. The Governing Body and I have been working hard to develop a Strategic Plan for the next five years that we will share more details of in the Autumn. For my part, I welcome the CO21 into the OT fold, and thank you all once again for your support and interest in the evolution and inclusivity of our Truro School family. I very much look forward to meeting many of you at the events that we all hope we can enjoy this coming year.

Andy Johnson Truro School Head & TSA President

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A word from the TSA Chair the revamped Keeping Connected newsletter, more frequent and enlarged Truronian magazine, dinners, networking events, fundraising - the list goes on. The Truro School community is going to miss you both enormously, but I know that you will keep in touch with us all; we wish you well as you both embark on new ventures and more time with your families. We look forward to welcoming Amanda Forde (Development and Alumni Relations Officer) back in August following her maternity leave and thank Ella Goodman for stepping so seamlessly into the breach and for her work compiling the Truronians and Keeping Connected newsletters.

In every recent edition of The Truronian I have written about the strangeness of recent times, my disappointment about the postponement of our alumni events and my hopes that these would be able to resume soon: you will be unsurprised to read that this one will be no different. However, with the summer holiday stretching in front of us, there are hopes that normality is beginning to return to Truro School. A few weeks ago, the TSA committee met in person for the first time in almost 18 months and it was a great pleasure to be able to introduce my fellow committee members to our President, Andy Johnson, at last. Whilst we hope you will understand the continued need for caution, we were excited to be able to begin making plans for the not-so-distant future, so please watch this space.

As always, we hope that you will enjoy reading this edition of The Truronian - please do keep in touch and let us know about your own adventures for future editions. The committee and I wish you all a happy and safe summer and look forward to seeing you in person soon. Best wishes, Rachel

Rachel Vaughan CO98 Teacher of English and Drama, Truro School Association Chair, & Head of Choristers

It gives me great pleasure to welcome the Class of ‘21 as our newest members of the TSA: know that as you leave Truro School and head onwards and upwards to new adventures, you are truly part of a Network for Life.  This time of year is always a bittersweet one for those involved in education, as it inevitably involves saying goodbye to much loved members of our community and I would like to add my own thanks and best wishes to Andy’s words about Jayne and Nicky. I know that many of you, like me, will find it hard to imagine Truro School without Jayne Grigg: she has been the first person that so many of our families have met along their Truro School journey and a warm and welcoming point of contact for the years to follow. Nicky Berridge has been the most incredible support to the TSA committee and to me personally, working cheerfully and tirelessly in the background to bring about so much of what we have achieved in recent years. Nicky’s catchphrase has always been ‘Tell me what you want to do and we’ll make it happen’ and so much did happen:

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Truro School Leavers - CO21 A very warm welcome to our newest Old Truronians Joshua Allister Alexander Azamatov James Ball William Bassett-Cross Jessica Bateson Alex Berger Romano Bezzi-Coddetta Kalyan Bhattacharya Sophia Bishop Stephanie Blair Amy Boyle Gracie Carleston Emily Caton Jess Chamberlain Trevor Chan Ellie Chen Guy Cherry Charlie Chilcott Stephanie Choi Joe Clark-Davies Max Cromie James Crow Isaac Dale Brad Davies

Jenny Douce Tom Fawcett Ondra Festa Jessica Fisher Oscar Fletcher Sophie Garner Gabriel Garzon Ruiz Charlotte Gordon-Brown Cameron Gurd Henry Hallam Hugo Harrower Finn Hawkins Darcy Holdsworth Jenna Kerridge Thomas Lawson Talulla Lee Amy Lindon-Travers Alfie Lobb Molly Machin Zoe May Lara McBlane Benjy McCartney Amelia Mi Lucy Mitten

Head Girl Jenny Douce CO21

Holly Morris Joshua Moses Roman Norris Louis Pender Daisy Penrose Harri Reynolds Monty Rix Rohan Savani Kushal Sharma Jake Singleton Matt Sinkins Sam Stonebridge Alistair Sutton Will Symonds Lorenzo Tassellari Phoebe Walker Sam Waters Jack Wong Amber Wood Archie Worrall Josh Wrennall James Wright

Head Boy Isaac Dale CO21

Deputy Head Girl Holly Morris CO21 Deputy Head Boy Monty Rix CO21

We look forward to hearing about CO21 future milestones, achievements and career paths chosen. Wishing each and everyone the very best of luck, whatever they do and wherever they go. Please stay in touch!

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Governor’s Speech Day Address a change of system. I am sure our Head would join me in thanking our predecessors for all their work. A new job is so much easier on a sound footing. “I led the panel of Governors that appointed Mr Johnson. That was in November 2019. At that time there was no Covid. Not even a hint. With the arrival of 2020 and beyond, our Head must have wondered what he had taken on. His first Headship, a move to Cornwall, no ability for him or his family to get to know people in person and the need to lead the school in a way that had ever been done before.

Richard Thomas , Chair of Govenors

After School Chaplain, Reverend Aubin de Gruchy, had opened the 2021 Speech Day proceedings with the offering of a blessing and prayers, Richard Thomas, Chair of Governors, warmly welcomed pupils, parents, honoured guests and staff along with all those joining from across the globe, via the virtual link. He remarked on what a pleasure it was to be ‘together’ in one place celebrating Truro School.

able to see everyone together in reality. As human beings there is a dynamic in interaction which just doesn’t exist in a virtual world.

“Who would have thought two years ago that to achieve such a gathering, albeit in its limited and restricted form, represents an achievement beyond most people’s dreams. It was so pleasing to be

“Two years ago, Mr Gordon-Brown was Head and Kim Conchie was Chair of Governors. There has been a ‘Changing of the Guard’, a freshening of the offering or to use a sporting narrative, ‘a double substitution’; fresh legs and maybe

“Gone are the days when it was a matter of putting out a few hundred chairs. The work involved in sanitising, the cleaning, the risk assessments, the operation is all very different. We really do appreciate all the work involved so much.

“Well, we have certainly found the right hand for the right glove. Our Head has led the school in an exemplary manner. The communication has been open, the organisation ordered and the performance of the School excellent. Throughout the year Mr Johnson has led the school with authority and immense commitment, taking the weight of responsibility with broad shoulders. We are though, so conscious of the difficulties of the challenges and the toll they have taken. I have seen the grey hairs develop. (If there was a ‘R’ rate for development of grey hairs, we would be in lockdown again). What Mr Johnson has done in driving the school onward and upward with the support of the Senior Leadership Team has been immense and on behalf of the Governors we thank him wholeheartedly. “I would also like to congratulate all staff in the School for what they have done this year. Both in the teaching cohort and the support sector, nothing is the same anymore, there is no established template, everything needs to be thought through and planned anew. Take for example the school meals, year group bubbles, teacher assessed grades, the general operation, all require really detailed planning. Take also how well the

TRURO SCHOOL ASSOCIATION school did with its remote learning in those cold, dark, windy and wet winter months. Not only in the subjects that perhaps fit into Microsoft TEAMS with an element of ease but also those subjects that require real imagination and invention to succeed in a virtual environment. The levels of education imparted have been outstanding. “This brings me onto everyone here; pupils, parents, guardians, carers, along with those that cannot be present. The school isn’t anything without you. We are so very conscious as governors of the sacrifices required throughout the past school year in all respects to maintain and achieve what we have done. Your commitment has been immense and combined with the staff is what makes Truro School the community that it is. The way that everyone has pulled together demonstrates what can be achieved through dedication and application. “There are two other sectors I would like to thank. Firstly the governing body. They are all volunteers who give their time in the interests of education; their dedication, wisdom and support is so valuable. Secondly and finally, I would like to thank the Truro School Business Director, Kieran Topping, and his administrative team. During these times we have had to be so nimble financially and operationally. Many decisions have been difficult to take but all are done in the interest of the longterm presence of the school and we are in a far better place now than we would have imagined last March when the pandemic first struck.” After heartfelt thanks and praise for all concerned, Mr Thomas brought his address to a close:

THE TRURONIAN community spirit that we have had over the last year is something to hold onto and build upon. “So, on behalf of myself and the whole Governing Body, thank you all. There are exciting times ahead

as a degree of normality returns, and as a school, we will look to deliver our aims and maintain our values in the Community that is Truro School.”

Richard Thomas Chair of Govenors

Programme 2021 JAZZ MEDLEY Romano, Alfie, Mr J Robinson, Mr P Thomson Arrival of the Queen of Sheba by Handel. Holly, Talulla, Mr M Palmer OPENING PRAYERS The Chaplain, Rev Aubin de Gruchy ADDRESS Chair of Governors, Richard Thomas ADDRESS Head, Andy Johnson DRAMA INTERLUDE Chloe, Millie, Imogen, Poppy, Ruben, Ed. Little Shop of Horrors and Skid Row, Lyrics by Howard Ashman, Music by Alan Menken PRIZEGIVING MUSICAL INTERLUDE Alfie, Romano, Mr P Thomson, Mr J Robinson A-Level composition by Alfie Lobb ADDRESS Head Girl, Jenny and Head Boy, Isaac ADDRESS Sophie Daud, Chief Executive Officer, Future Leaders Network THANKS Head Boy, Isaac and Head Girl, Jenny THANKS Head, Andy Johnson Please stand for the Final Benediction, The Chaplain, Rev Aubin de Gruchy MUSICAL INTERLUDE Upper Sixth Leavers: Gracie, Talulla Thank You for the Music by Andersson & Ulvaeus JAZZ MEDLEY Romano, Alfie, Mr P Thomson, Mr J Robinson

“In adversity there is a pulling together and without wanting to sound too ‘Churchillian’ about it there is a stronger bond through the school and the school community. Together we are more robust and the communication and

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Speech Day Prize Winners

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Congratulations!

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Sophie Daud – Speech Day Guest of Honour Chief Executive of the Future Leaders Network.

“Alone there is so much to do, together there is so much we can do… Be positive and proud of the impact that you can have on the world. Young people are a powerful force for change – together we can make waves for future generations.”

Sophie Daud is the award-winning Chief Executive of the Future Leaders Network. She kindly agreed to give the Truro School 2021 Speech Day address and delivered an inspirational account of her recent interaction with the Youth G7. Sophie began her career in the UK Government, where she combined her scientific training with problem solving skills to tackle some of the country’s most challenging social policy issues, ranging from long-term unemployment to child poverty. In 2016, she was selected to represent the United Kingdom at the Youth G7 in Tokyo, Japan, the official youth engagement group for the G7 Heads of State summit. Since then, Sophie has campaigned tirelessly to support the development of a new cohort of young leaders and championed their voices in national and international decision making.

She was appointed Chief Executive Officer of Future Leaders’ Network in January 2019 and this year she holds the title of Chair of the Y7 2021. She is particularly committed to ensuring that the Summit includes a wide range of diverse voices, including young people who are typically under-represented in formal democratic processes. In 2019, Sophie was named as a “Rising Star in the Public Sector”, awarded by WeAreTheCity after a competitive selection process. In 2021, she was named as the “Most Influential CEO in London, U.K.” by CEO Monthly magazine. Sophie left the everyone present, both in person and virtually, with the powerful message that each of us has the ability to challenge and to champion change - a wonderful sentiment to pass on to the Upper Sixth leavers who are about to embark on the next stage of life’s adventure!

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“Mr Johnson praised all of the School houses and announced Smith to be the winners of the Opie Shield”

Opie Shield Winners 2020/2021

First Place - Smith 204

Second Place - School 171.5

Third Place - Vinter 159.5

Fourth Place - Wickett 159

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Jim Clark (TS 1974 - 1997) Old Truronian Teacher and Chemguide creator

Jim Clark taught chemistry at Truro School between 1974-1997, latterly becoming Head of Department. Although Jim retired from teaching in 1997, he has continued to be a source of inspiration and help for students not only in the UK but all over the world, writing several chemistry textbooks and via his website: Chemguide. Chemguide is designed as a tool to assist 16–18-year-old chemistry students and is estimated to be used by almost every A-Level chemistry student in the UK, with around 1.4 million visits a month worldwide. In this article, Jim tells us how his idea for Chemguide grew because of the one-toone teaching support sessions he gave to A-Level students at Truro School. Notes from the Chemistry Lab 1974 – 1997 I was asked if I would like to write a ‘potted history’, so here it is. I was born, brought up and went to school in Falmouth, went to Cambridge followed by teacher training, and then taught chemistry at several schools before ending up in Truro in 1974. There is nothing remotely interesting in any of this, and it feels a little like writing my own obituary. So, I’m going to give you some snippets of life in the chemistry department at that time instead. Chemistry is a practical subject. At school level, chemistry is, above anything else, a practical subject and a potentially dangerous practical subject at that. Only a handful of students starting at the age of 11 will go on to read chemistry at university. More will need chemistry for medicine or biology, but the majority will forget all the chemistry they ever knew soon after leaving. What they will be left with are practical skills in handling fragile equipment and potentially dangerous materials including household things like bleach, oven cleaner, paint stripper and weedkiller. So, you start at the beginning of the first year with students who may never have been allowed to do anything remotely dangerous at home and teach them over a very short time how to handle fragile equipment and potentially harmful situations safely and confidently. You can’t do this with demonstrations – it must be hands-on. Colour and music At one stage our excellent lab technician, Pete Seymour (still a lab technician at Truro School), decided he was bored with his white lab coat and tie-dyed it a sort of green-blue colour (I hesitate here, because my wife and I rarely agree on where something is on the spectrum around turquoise). Consequently, I chose to have one tie-dyed quite a strong pink. Somewhere around the same time, I decided that I needed some music in the lab. Supervising class practical sessions needs total concentration so that you know everything that is going on in every corner of the lab, but if the practical is all running smoothly, this can get quite boring, particularly if what they are doing is rather routine. So, I spent some spare money on a tape player, amplifier and speakers and started playing classical music from my collection at home. This started with A-Level groups and then moved down to GCSE groups and even occasionally to a third form group. Chamber music worked best because it is clearer; large orchestral pieces echoing around in a big lab just sound ‘muddy’. You mightn’t expect this to appeal to teenagers, but it did, and if I forgot to put it on, they invariably reminded me. What it did was make the whole lab experience feel calm and civilised. Occasionally a senior member of staff would show parents and potential students around the school, and they would be ushered into the lab with me in my pink lab coat, music playing, and everyone absorbed in the music and what they were doing. One parent told me later that it was this experience that decided them on sending their daughter to the school.

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Being left behind Before Truro School became fully independent in the 1970s it was a Direct Grant Scheme school and took 11+ students from the Truro area because there was no boys’ grammar school in the city. The last year of 11+ (which uniquely included some 10+ students as well that year – my son, Paul was one) generated one of the best years ever. In those days, as well as A-Levels there were harder S-Level papers available, and most years you might have two or three chemistry students doing S-Level exams. When that cohort reached their A-Level year, I remember sitting around a bench in the lab with (I think) 13 of them doing S-Level – that was completely unprecedented. A discussion started between them, and I realised that I had no idea what they were talking about (In fairness to myself, it had drifted into atomic physics!). That was actually a joyous moment. They had essentially outgrown school and were moving on. I realised, as a school, we had done a brilliant job with them. But it wasn’t only the outstanding students that we were successful with – there were plenty of ‘average’ students who achieved more than they ever expected. Medics Quite a lot of our students were aiming to be doctors, dentists, vets, physiotherapists and so on. I remember a very able girl saying to me “I’m going to be a doctor. Why do I need to know the conditions for manufacturing polythene?” There is no good answer to that! Wednesday afternoons During my time at the school, Wednesday afternoon was established as a time for games and activities. As someone who has zero sporting interest or ability, I always saw that as a waste of my skills, and eventually came to a compromise where I provided a space for supervising off-games pupils and used the time for a chemistry clinic for A-Level students needing a little extra support. Obviously, that helped them, but it also had an enormous influence on my future, because it gave me real insight as to where their difficulties lay, and to sense immediately when students were finding my approach unclear. After I took early retirement, I wrote a number of successful chemistry textbooks and developed the chemistry website Chemguide (www.chemguide.co.uk) which now has a vast audience worldwide. After all this time, I still write with a ‘ghostly student’ beside me and can tell when they aren’t following, and it needs rewriting. They will probably be surprised to hear this, but I owe a huge debt of gratitude to the students I taught one-to-one or in very small groups. This wouldn’t have been possible without them.

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Jim was a superb teacher of chemistry, a quiet authority in the classroom and laboratory, commanding respect from students and staff alike. Jim was dedicated to making sure he taught as truly factual chemistry as possible, whilst also making it enjoyable. Often frustrated by the many inaccuracies, poor descriptions, incorrect data, out of date, missing or unverifiable ‘facts’ and many confusing or poorly laid out, chemistry textbooks, he set his mind to improve this situation. This resulted in a great deal of research and writing, including becoming the author of new textbooks, and the very well-known Chemguide website, all of which have become invaluable to A-Level students everywhere! I’d describe Jim as a true academic. He also enjoyed walking many longdistance footpaths in the Peak and Lake Districts, the Dales and South West Coast Path. It was, then, not too much of a surprise when Jim appeared having incurred a foot injury. What was surprising, however, was that this was no walking related injury. After a difficult day he decided to go home and begin a

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spot of DIY, taking his frustrations out on an old greenhouse with a concrete block base. Unfortunately, he dropped one of the blocks on his toe. Jim concluded that safety boots might be a good option in the future!

enough for the sledge to become airborne for a brief moment before landing on the damp, compact, concrete-hard sand of the beach. The resulting back injury required the attendance and use of the Cornwall Air Ambulance, as can be seen in the picture. Fortunately, a full recovery followed. Jim is the only chemistry staff member, ever as far as I know, to make use of this service!

Jim’s foray into beach fun, likewise, did not end well. Leaving the safety of academia and the gentle footpaths and byways of the countryside (and DIY), he tried The world out there is a dangerous something completely different…. sand tobogganing! Speeding down place. Give me the safety of the chemistry laboratory any day! the steep slopes of soft sand at Crantock on a Christmas day must have been thrilling, at first. However, Pete Seymour a bump at the base of the dune was

Truro School Lab Technician

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Back in 2013 I was excited to start my new job at Truro School as Head of Chemistry, fresh faced and eager to meet my new team. When I first met Pete, my technician, I soon realised he was a veteran of Truro School, and having worked there for many years, he had worked with quite a few chemistry

THE TRURONIAN teachers in his time. Chatting over our usual morning coffee one day, he casually revealed that Jim Clark had once been Head of Chemistry at Truro School. Now this was a huge bombshell. As every good chemistry teacher knows; the most reliable and unanimously respected website out there for improving students’ understanding of A-Level Chemistry is ‘Chemguide’ and I had just discovered its esteemed author had previously run my department! I was both delighted and a little intimidated, but I couldn’t wait to tell my A-Level students as I knew they would be as impressed and amazed as I was. Now I proudly tell every new A-Level cohort about Jim

Clark and his Truro School legacy, and year on year, my students use ‘Chemguide’ to develop and enhance their chemical knowledge. They trust Jim Clark’s explanations unconditionally, as we do as teachers, and I can say with certainty that without his website, A-Level students around the world would be a little lost! Thank you Jim: and if you ever fancy popping in for a coffee with Pete and myself, you would be most warmly welcomed, and our students of course would be completely star struck!

Dr A L Brogden Truro School Head of Chemistry

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Daniel Wormald CO13 Lutra Marine Limited

TRURO SCHOOL ASSOCIATION Daniel Wormald is the founder and Managing Director of Lutra Marine Limited, operating within the UK and Europe. Lutra Marine Limited was formed in 2014 with the aim of developing environmentally friendly techniques and higher precision dredging for marine environments. Daniel’s company works in the marine sector to remove sediment and rock from the bottom of harbours, ports and other waterways. It also supplies equipment to the mining sector to remove kaolin from the bottom of china clay pits and pump the material to the refiner. Daniel’s love of everything geology began at an early age, and the main reason he chose to apply to Truro School aged 11, was because geology was available (as well as the bonus of an on-site theatre). It didn’t disappoint. Truro School geology field trips took Daniel to many places including Masca, Tenerife, where he got to see an active volcano and the lava tubes. However, the most influential field trip on Daniels’s future career was closer to home.......

THE TRURONIAN “I spent many happy hours as part of the technical team, working on school productions and musicals such as Oliver, Les Misérables, Sweeney Todd and the charity concerts. It was definitely these experiences that gave me the basic understanding of theatre which resulted in me working in theatre venues in London and Internationally. I also made great friends during that time including, Swen Kearey CO02 (Technical Resources Manager) and David Gibson (TS 2007-10).” Truro School theatre and drama experiences led to Daniel starting his working life as a Technician at the Hall for Cornwall working on drama productions, and then in London as a Senior Technician and Production Electrician (lighting and video) for a UK and International tour of The Kite Runner. This work enabled Daniel to continue and fund his research into the dredging industry.

It soon became clear to Daniel, that there was a real need for innovation so he continued to work on his prototype. Founding Lutra Marine in 2014, he focused on finding a way to develop his plans further. The ‘Grow Cornwall Scheme’ provided the help he needed in the early stages, and Oxford Innovation provided Daniel with a mentor and useful contacts to progress his plans. Daniel’s early prototypes were tested at Plymouth University COAST lab, before he filed the UK, US, Canadian and European patents whilst applying for investment to allow him to take the company to the next stage. Having secured investment from the British Design Fund Daniel was able to build a full-scale (4-tonne) prototype of his cutter head and test it at Hayle in the summer of 2019, going on to build the production units. “There’s still something quite fun about climbing into a 21-tonne excavator with equipment attached which you designed and built.”

In 2012 Mr Kenyon (TS Geology Teacher), Mr Vanstone (TS Director of Studies), and Mrs Gill (TS 200717) took Daniel’s geology class to Godrevy as part of their A-Level studies fieldwork to study four different sediment types which are present there. This field trip was the spark which set Daniel on course to starting his own company. “It always brings a smile when I recall that the company was essentially founded as a result of a school A-Level project to enhance my UCAS application.” After the field trip, Daniel began to research marine dredging and discovered the many environmental issues facing the the industry. Using his dad’s old Meccano set and an old fish tank in the back garden at home, the very first model of what was to become Daniel’s prototype cutter head took shape. Daniel’s other passion whilst at Truro School was the Burrell Theatre:

TRURO SCHOOL ASSOCIATION Daniel’s design ensures no sediment is released into the surrounding water during operation of the equipment. It also offers an extremely high level of precision (to within 5cm), avoiding obstacles such as subsea cables and mooring chains. The equipment can also be used against quay walls, under pontoons and above fragile surfaces. Daniel’s company, Lutra Marine, has gone from strength to strength, and is still located (albeit in larger premises) at Victoria Business Park, St Austell, with clients across the UK. As Managing Director, Daniel handles everything from day-today operations, to sales and site visits, as well as ongoing research and development, and of course operating the equipment. “Without doubt Truro School helped prepare me for all the different day-to-day roles that are so important for my company, from organisation of the daily operations, to having the confidence and ability to present to a boardroom of potential investors when seeking company funding. The CEO of the British Design Fund (BDF*) has indicated they wish to include me as an example in the marketing of their fund. I’m told this is because I was able to articulate my thoughts and present myself in a professional manner. I attribute this to Truro School and its emphasis on the importance of learning social and life skills, preparing its students for all manner of eventualities. Truro also teaches you to realise your own value and builds self-esteem.” *BDF: The British Design Fund supports enterprise and innovation in the UK by investing in, and supporting, early stage, well designed, product businesses. The Fund works with extraordinary entrepreneurs with scalable products who are ready to accelerate growth and build long term value and thriving standout businesses.

“I am also very grateful for the early support I received from the staff at Truro School, particularly Mr Kenyon, Mr Vanstone and Mr Harrison (TS 1992- 2013) who helped drive my ambition. When I came back to work on one of the

THE TRURONIAN school productions, I was even permitted to use some of the equipment in the school to build the initial prototype, later tested at Plymouth University.” As a young entrepreneur, Daniel offers some thoughts to anyone considering starting their own business: “You have to be determined and don’t take ‘No’ for an answer, especially when it comes to age. I remember one of my first meetings with a potential investor; I was told that no-one would invest in me because of my age. I wasn’t put off and I continued to seek support and found the BDF, which looks for innovative products designed in Britain. After an early morning flight from Exeter to pitch my idea, they came back with an offer. Due to my determination, resolve and self-belief I found a match in BDF, who saw my age and enthusiasm as a positive rather than a negative. There will be the right match out there for you it just takes time to find it. “Knowing what you want to do is the hard part. Take your time to work this out and follow the path that suits you, not what others tell you. I would say that university is not always the best option. I have been extremely lucky with the people I have met, and advice offered whilst developing the company. Never underestimate the power of networking. Finding the right people to work with is hugely important. For me this was when my girlfriend, Jen, joined the company. We share the same work ethic, but each have our own completely different skill set, and so we complement each other. It’s also immensely important having someone who shares your vision and passion, a confidante and sounding board, someone to rant at or to just listen when things do not go to plan. However good you think you are, you cannot do it all alone and it’s also great to have someone to share the successes too.”

Daniel moved back to Cornwall to live in Falmouth with Jen. The couple met whilst working at a theatre in London during Panto season, and Jen joined Daniel at Lutra Marine in February 2020. Daniel’s parents and sisters still live in Cornwall, and Daniel and Jen enjoy visiting and taking the dogs for walks on the moors and beaches around Cornwall. Lutra Marine is still a young growing company and occupies most of Daniel’s time, leaving little time for leisure activities, but the couple have recently bought a boat to explore the Cornish coast and wildlife. They have enjoyed sailing around Cornwall, the Isles of Scilly and plan to go further afield when COVID restrictions allow. Daniel’s immediate plans are to grow Lutra Marine, firstly across the UK and then into Europe. He has already joined the Truro School Connected initiative and plans to give a Careers Talk to Sixth Form students in September. “I would like to get to the point where I can give something back to the community that helped me so much to achieve my goals and ambitions, by perhaps offering work experience and placements to students at Truro School.” If, like Daniel, you would like to join the Truro School Connected initiative, please complete make contact by completing the Truro School Connected Form.

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Dr Harry Fonseca Williams CO10

All things creepy crawly, venomology, trees and the LEAF charity (Little Environmental Action Foundation) Almost since birth, Harry demonstrated a keen interest in biology, much preferring to collect bugs than to kick footballs. It may not be surprising then that he chose to attend Truro School based almost solely on the live snakes, scorpions and spiders displayed in the biology block. “St Ives School was a close second purely due to the fact it had a pickled monkey! I never regretted my choice, I made strong bonds with most of my teachers, they tolerated my behaviour (mostly) and many of them certainly inspired me. Having Dr Spring (Head of History) as form tutor for my first two years was definitely inspirational, feeding my dream of attaining a doctorate myself one day.”

TRURO SCHOOL ASSOCIATION Harry joined Truro School in 2003, and was followed by his sister Kate Williams CO12, in 2010 when she joined for Sixth Form. As a Truro School student Harry describes himself as ‘not especially academic, the most average student, and very naughty’. Despite this, he remembers ‘waking every morning looking forward to school’. As he felt he wasn’t particularly successful in exams he began to doubt if higher education was to be the path for him. For a while he considered alternative directions; a Personal Trainer, or perhaps a Field Guide in South Africa, but ultimately the exploration involved with science was too intriguing for him to miss out on, so he applied himself with renewed vigour. Having completed Sixth Form in 2010, Harry enrolled at Cardiff University to study Zoology. After graduating from his BSc, and with a year in the Peruvian Amazon and another in the African bush under his belt Harry completed an MSc in Conservation followed by a PhD in Venomology (primarily looking at snakebites). “I often fell short with exams, and it look me a long time to realise that they were not always the best way for me to gauge my abilities and determination.” Harry has always had one specific career in mind: “Some people may think I am very lucky, in that I have converted my biggest passion into a career. For as long as I can remember, I have had the same dream: to work with ‘dangerous’ animals, and while in some ways this has been a blessing, my stubborn refusal to accept any other paths has not been without problems: it hasn’t been easy to get where I am today.” Following the completion of his PhD in Venomology from University of Reading, with 18 scientific publications and a patent, Harry was awarded the ‘Reading School of Pharmacy Researcher of the Year.’ “This is one of two awards I have ever received, the other being Truro School 2nd XV Rugby Award for ‘most improved player of the year’ in 2009, which I was very chuffed with, despite being pretty lousy at rugby.”

THE TRURONIAN Harry has certainly realised his dreams and is the founding Chairman and Chief Scientific Officer of ToxiVen, an Indian company supplying venoms and venom related products for scientific research and pharmaceutical drug discovery as well as recently having filed the first patent for venom detection kits in all of Asia (the primary topic of his PhD). The company is focussed on the development of small molecule/ peptide-based anti-toxins, toxin-specific antibodies and anti-venoms (monovalent and polyvalent) to improve diagnostic and therapeutic strategies for envenomation, particularly for snakebites. At present, Harry helps in the running of his company, ToxiVen, from afar as he is currently living and working in Kenya, as a Postdoc Researcher for Save the Elephants, studying the impact of a film he worked on in 2015: The Elephant Queen which received an Emmy nomination. The film highlighted the need to change attitudes among rural people towards the countries second most dangerous and most problematic animal (after snakes): the Elephant. He was also recently involved in making some educational films for a Kenyan tribe called the Samburu (with a charity called the Milgis Trust), in an effort to reduce wild-fires and plastic pollution. Harry’s role was Scientific Advisor and Co-producer. Not wanting to rest on his laurels, two years ago, Harry also founded the Little Environmental Action Foundation (LEAF), a charity planting trees to combat the climate and biodiversity crises. The charity was launched during National Tree week (28 November - 6 December 2020). During this period, they ran a crowdfunding campaign to raise funds for a new seedling nursery, raising over £3,000. As Chair of LEAF, Harry’s role entails coordinating 13 fellow trustees, creating and developing the constitution, and identifying and initiating projects with help from his co-founders, employees and an army of volunteers. The charity’s first project in Kenya: to undertake the planting of highly threatened native trees in the East African Coastal Forest zone. On Monday 10 May 2021 the LEAF charity, alongside its partners including, Botanical Gardens Conservation International (bcgi.org -based out of Kew), Kenya Forestry Research Institute (kfri.org), Kivukoni Indigenous tree nursery and Pwani University) undertook the most biodiverse indigenous tree planting event in East African history turning an impoverished local University into a very special sort of jungle. “It was a very special event, hoping to highlight that planting monocultures is not helping anyone, certainly not nature.” Harry’s family home is just outside St Ives where, in his absence, his father Nick has the responsibility of looking after his pet snakes and fish. Harry describes his family as ‘a very close little team’. He attributes his success to them:

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“Their belief in me and their (actually quite worrying) support of all my crazy ideas has enabled me to achieve my dreams and I am very lucky to have them. That said, when picking me up from my third Saturday detention with Headmaster at the time, Mr Smith (TS 2001- 2012), they were less than impressed!”

Harry offers his advice to anyone considering a similar path:

Harry returns to Cornwall regularly and spent the first lockdown here,

Keep a journal - you will soon come to realise that 90% of your initial doubts when approaching a task or aspirational goal, were totally unfounded and you are capable of much more than you think.”

“I rarely return to the school, though one of these days I will once again haunt those corridors I am sure.” A lot of Harry’s closest friends today are still those he made at Truro School. Even though their lives have taken different paths, they still offer a hugely important support network for each other. “A lot of us have experienced times of poor mental health. Having friends who understand and with whom you share past experiences, that you can talk about it with, has been key to getting out of those low moods so many of us experience.” Harry loves the great outdoors; he enjoys a good adventure, camping and scuba diving adventures, having attained a PADI (Professional Association of Diving Instructors) divemaster qualification. He is also a keen creator of British jungles and has grown hundreds of British trees from seed, which are also left in the care of his poor dad when he is away.

“Success at school will really help you (something I could have done better in), but it certainly isn’t everything, determination can often get you just as far as a list of straight As.

In the future Harry hopes to continue working towards a role in academia. “The road to my aspiration of one day becoming a professor in the tropics, may be a winding one, but I hope to one day have the joy of lecturing a classroom of students who truly value higher education (something I have already witnessed in developing nations). I am currently in talks with executives from Apple and Discovery about a series based on toxic nature, a subject I am considered by some to be ‘expert’ on - think of a posher Steve Irwin, with a bit more science and a pinker face! It seems like a dream, and who knows if it will come true, but it is a very exciting proposition nevertheless.” To anyone remotely confused or uncertain about their career, I would urge and encourage them to consider something connected with nature. I promise you will never regret it, and it needs your help more than ever.”

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Claudia Murton CO99

Memories of travels to exotic places and life as a Consultant in a global pandemic Claudia Murton recalls her time at Truro School with great affection. As a music scholar, playing the violin, she enjoyed leading the orchestra and in the Sixth Form took on responsibility as a Senior Prefect. “I enjoyed everything; the annual school ski trips; playing in the hockey team and the school discos. Truro School not only gave me the educational qualifications I needed for my subsequent career, it also gave me essential life skills and confidence too.” Claudia had already set her mind on a career in medicine and remembers that she was among a minority of girls who chose to study science and maths at A-Level, but recalls she was never made to feel ‘the odd one out’ by any of her male peers or teaching staff.

After leaving Truro School, Claudia spent a year travelling in Asia, Australia, New Zealand, the Cook Islands, USA and Canada. Once back in the UK, Claudia embarked on her medical studies at Cardiff University, during which time she completed her elective in the Soloman Islands. She subsequently went on to specialise in Psychiatry after her general medical and surgical training.

Having qualified and begun practising, Claudia was keen to travel again so extended her training to include an expedition medicine qualification, enabling her to become an Expedition Medic for Operation Wallacea (Operation Wallacea is a network of academics from European and North American universities, who design and implement biodiversity and conservation management research expeditions.) In this role Claudia visited Central America and remote parts of Indonesia, acting as the scuba dive site doctor, and South Africa, where she trekked through the Kruger National Park surveying wildlife. “It was just an incredible experience and I got to travel to some very remote and exotic places - I have so many stories, photos and memories.

Things I learnt from these trips included dealing with medical problems independently with limited resources, as well as resilience and that life on Earth is fragile. Accommodation was never luxurious, but you really felt absorbed in nature in a way you cannot do on a holiday. I met such interesting people from all over the world and worked in a team with the other staff and students on each site. I remember evacuating a scientist who had fallen in the jungle and broken his ankle. Easy to deal with where normal resources are available, but more of a challenge to coordinate where infrastructure is very limited. I slept in tents, hammocks, a straw hut and, on the dive trip to Cuba, on the deck of a boat under a mosquito net. “The islands in Indonesia were so remote it took two or three days to travel there from Bali and you really

TRURO SCHOOL ASSOCIATION felt that you were somewhere very remote and very special. Due to this location the scuba diving was incredible, and the conservation work undertaken by the project scientists helped to ensure the area stays as pristine as possible. Being up before dawn to go out on wildlife and bird surveys and hear the jungle waking up was so magical. There were difficult moments including a bush fire in South Africa where we had to fan flames away from the camp. Walking through the Krugar Park was an experience few will be lucky enough to have. Safari trucks often drove past with people staring wide eyed at us walking through the bush. We all did ‘bush training’ to help us deal with any wildlife encounters, but a close encounter with a herd of elephants whilst on foot, brought in to focus both the fragility of life and the fact that we are really not the biggest, most important thing on this planet.” Claudia now works full time as a Consultant Liaison Psychiatrist at Royal Cornwall Hospitals Trust (RCHT) and is the Cornwall Foundation Partnership NHS Trust Guardian of safe working for junior doctors. “I love my job; it’s challenging but fascinating. My role involves clinical leadership, assessing and treating patients, supervision and teaching. We see patients at RCHT with problems including self-harm, eating disorders, acute psychiatric crises, functional disorders and psychological consequences of physical illness. It can be emotionally demanding at times, but I spend all day talking to interesting patients and staff. There is never a dull moment and I feel very privileged to be able to do this work.” Claudia also has a special interest in Clinical Education and has recently completed a master’s degree in this field to enhance her role in teaching and education.

THE TRURONIAN Advice for anyone considering a similar career. “Make sure you enjoy it. Everyone should have an opportunity to really enjoy what they do, then they will go far. Work hard and you reap the rewards!” Juggling family life as a doctor comes with challenges but Claudia says: “My parents are both retired teachers and inspired my sister [Stephanie Murton CO01] and me to do what we do. They also, very importantly, now help with childcare which my kids love. Naturally my children are my priority and juggling family life as well as a busy role as a doctor comes with challenges and it certainly helps to have an extremely supportive husband and family. Without them it would be impossible. “The past year has been one of the most testing in living memory for healthcare, but we have learnt a lot and supported each other through it. I feel proud to have been there caring for patients and supporting staff on the healthcare front line throughout this time; but I am looking forward to coming out the other side, developing my interest in Clinical Education further, whilst carrying on helping patients every day. The service I work in has been expanding its scope and size and we hope to continue this. I will also be spending more time with my family and of course helping my own kids to learn and be as happy as they can be.” Claudia’s 40th birthday was curtailed due to the Covid-19 crisis, but she hopes to make up for it as soon as possible!

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Jack Hughes CO04

Developing a new business in a pandemic – Reason FM Jack was 16 when he moved with his mum to Cornwall and joined Truro School Sixth Form. Previously Jack had attended an all boys’ boarding school and Truro School was a welcome change. “I was genuinely surprised to be greeted with amazing kindness and a very welcoming community of people. It was a world away from the intense environment I had previously experienced and from the moment I joined, I loved every moment of Sixth Form.” In no time at all Jack had a new group of friends: George Mangifesta, Joseph Devine, Oliver Simpson, Will Cecil, Thomas Freegard, George Osman, Sam Mead, Richard Rentell and Abe Simpson (all CO09). The group still remain great friends 13 years later.

“I used to love sitting in the courtyard in the summer, everyone was so relaxed and happy, and people seemed to be ‘in the moment’, which is odd for teenagers. We were extended trust and respect by the teaching staff (also rare in my experience) which made such a difference.” Jack involved himself with all aspects of Truro School life; he loved to get involved with a wide range of activities; captaining the school 2nd football team, acting in drama productions (playing Eilert Lovborg in Hedda Gabler) presenting the charity concert, and editing the English department magazine Apparatus Criticus. “I really enjoyed editing the magazine, but I’m not certain Mrs Spence (Head of English 1997 – 2012) shared my enthusiasm or approved of my style of writing.”

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Not really having any career path in mind, Jack left Sixth Form to pursue a degree in English and Drama at Royal Holloway, University of London. After graduating he worked for two of the UK’s fastest growing tech companies, Healthera and Sweatcoin, working on mobile apps, some of which have subsequently reached number one in the ‘app store’ in multiple countries. However, Jack discovered he had entrepreneurial aspirations so, in March 2020, with his friend of 21 years, Sam Harris, they began developing a new app of their own, Reason FM - which allows users to listen to podcasts together either live with friends or alternatively catching up on the same content. “Sam is my oldest friend and we now both live in Cornwall. Sam has a podcast with over 2 million downloads but found he could not connect directly with his audience and so the Reason FM app was developed. With podcasts currently becoming one of the world’s fastest growing sources of media it seemed like a good fit. Sam has also been a TEDx talk host, speaking about humans being addicted to technology, so has a great deal of knowledge in this field.” Reason FM was supported by Techstars, one of the world’s most prestigious accelerator companies, helping young entrepreneurs to grow their ideas into worldchanging businesses. “Techstars has an acceptance rate of just 0.5% from the class of 2020, so it is an achievement, and above all a privilege to be accepted into their assistance programme.”

THE TRURONIAN

As Reason FM was founded at the beginning of the pandemic, it allowed Jack to move back to Cornwall and work remotely. “Returning to Cornwall has been great, it’s really nice to be back in the county.” In his spare time, Jack enjoys running ultra-marathons. He completed the Roseland August Trail 2020, but sadly the 48-mile Malvern Hills Ultra, scheduled to take place in May 2021, was cancelled due to the pandemic. Jack has now set his sights on training for a swim-marathon this summer as well as an Ironman challenge. When training Jack has a trusty companion, his dog Bertie., rescued from Battersea Dogs’ Home two years ago. The two have become inseparable. “Bertie loves beach walks, despite not being too fond of the sea, so being back in Cornwall has been just great. I’m looking forward to spending this summer in Falmouth and then maybe doing some travelling, but I can imagine myself wanting to return to Cornwall. The dream would be, if I have children of my own one day, to send them to Truro School.” For the time being the focus for Jack is Reason FM. Unlike for many, lockdown has also provided some benefits for the company, as it has developed at a time when attending music events with friends just wasn’t possible, so being able to share the experience of listening to a concert with friends was a welcome experience for many.

“My aim is to help the company grow and go from strength to strength, hopefully to become one of the world’s biggest social media platforms, with audio at its core.” Whilst today Jack is a successful entrepreneur, back in his Sixth Form days he never imagined this is where he would end up, as he really had no idea what he wanted to do. “Having pursued an artistic education with an English and Drama degree, if someone told me I’d be CEO of a company, let alone being part in Techstars, I probably would have laughed!” On reflection, Jack now feels his career path uncertainty was a blessing in disguise, allowing him to consider different possibilities rather than rushing into a decision. “Making a career choice is a huge decision, potentially something you are going to live with for the next 50+ years of your life. Knowing what you want to do at 16, 18 or even 21 is, for most people, very unlikely. My advice would be to relax, take every opportunity and not rush any decisions. What you thought you wanted to do when you were at school or even university, might change, so just embrace every opportunity.” We are certain Reason FM is only the beginning for Jack and look forward to future updates!

Jack is Co-CEO for Reason FM, running daily operations and managing employee workflow. The company has six employees and after soft launching, has over 1000 users.

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The Speake Brothers CO59 and CO62 Old Truronians Abroad

Brothers John David Speake CO59 and William Guy Speake CO62 attended Truro School in the 1950s. John joined in 1952 and three years later Guy followed. Nowadays the brothers live on different continents: Guy in California, USA, and John in Queensland, Australia. Both are still in regular contact with Truro School. John: “My time at Truro School probably gave me a sense of self-confidence - I am sure that growing up with so many gifted, competent and ultimately successful boys (there were no girls at Truro School in those days) was beneficial.” Guy’s journey through Truro School was rather different to the ‘norm’. Having passed the 11+ exam a year early, he joined in 1955. In 1956 Headmaster Mr A. Lowry Creed (TS 1946-1959) implemented an accelerated schedule for one third of the second-year pupils which included Guy. This meant condensing five years’ learning into four years, so Guy jumped another year, taking his O-Levels at just 13! “The accelerated programme probably helped the brightest students, but at the time it wasn’t totally beneficial for me as going into Sixth Form at 13 would have been difficult as I had no idea at the time what I wanted to do as a career.” Guy took French, German and English for his first year in the Sixth Form, then switched to Physics, Chemistry and Biology the following year. After this, whilst still technically a member of Truro School, he spent an academic year at Alhambra High School in California, USA, on an American Field Service Scholarship.

Guy recalls the rugby and cricket being the highlights of his time at school, particularly after Mr Taylor CO43 (TS 1954 -1993) took over coaching his team. “Truro School taught me so many things; discipline; manners; languages and social skills. The social and sports aspects were very enjoyable. I really enjoyed the dormitory plays, and especially recall ‘Skit’ on behalf of the day boys by Andy Cameron CO64 and Nigel Terry CO64.” Following his year studying in the US, Guy returned to Truro in 1962 to study Physics, Chemistry and Zoology. He graduated alongside fellow CO62 members, John Rhys Davies (aka Henry John Davies), Mike Cooney and Christopher (Dottie) Tiltman. After qualifying from the University of Birmingham Dental School in 1964, John worked two resident house jobs before commencing in an NHS practice in Gosport. He then became one of the ‘Ten Pound Poms’ and migrated to Australia. (Ten Pound Pom is a colloquial term used in Australia to describe British citizens who migrated to Australia after the Second World War. The Australian Government arranged for the assisted passages). “Our parents certainly instilled a wanderlust in us, but I don’t think our Mother envisaged how far it would take us. In all honesty, at the time I viewed it as an extended working holiday for two years, travelling for only £10 (the return single fare then would have been £250) and there was full reciprocity for professional (although not all) trade qualifications.” Once in Australia John became a registrar at the Dental Hospital

of Melbourne. In 1968 he travelled to Papua New Guinea, intending to spend a couple of years working with the Public Health Department. After the first tour he was smitten and returned again and again, squeezing in a year at the University of California, Los Angeles, before returning to Canberra in the Australian Capital Territory.

John CO59

“When I was offered the position of Dental Public Officer with the South Pacific Commission in Noumea, New Caledonia, I jumped at the chance to return to the South Sea Islands. I would describe my career as interesting rather than distinguished - one of the highlights, however, was winning the New Zealand Dental Journal prize for research, with my two colleagues and

TRURO SCHOOL ASSOCIATION co-authors Terry Cutress and Tim Ball.” John and wife Megan returned to Canberra and later moved to Queensland where they finally settled. Guy followed a similar path to that of his older brother, studying higher education in the UK before moving abroad. He briefly considered a career in dentistry like his brother, attending Guy’s Hospital Dental School, but soon realised it was not for him. Whilst working as a

THE TRURONIAN Guy then spent a year in Los Angeles at the California State University. “I was dismayed when we had to take what they called ‘Accounting’, (transpired it was really bookkeeping), but I liked the logic of accounting, and thought that accountants probably made a lot more money than hotel managers - it transpired I was under a misapprehension.” Guy visited the US a few times after graduating and met Dianne, an American citizen and they married in California in 1968, moving to Vancouver Island, Canada, for 18 months. However, although they made wonderful friends, Guy was not happy at work and so the couple returned to California permanently in 1970, where they remain to this day.

Guy CO62

bartender at the Mermaid Inn on the Isles of Scilly, he felt the hospitality industry might be a good choice and so undertook a four-year Hospitality course. “In 1968 I was among the first students to graduate with a BSc from the Hospitality Department of the University of Surrey.”

The brothers no longer have any family in Cornwall. Their sister, Mary, married a Queenslander whom she met whilst visiting John in Australia and so, with all their children abroad, their parents also moved to Australia when they retired. But distance has not prevented the Speake brothers keeping contact with their roots. Guy keeps in contact with lots of his friends from Truro School, particularly Mike Cooney CO62, Graham Bassett CO62, Dickie Blackburn CO61, Fred Reynolds CO63, Gareth James CO64, Stephen (Tich) Douglas CO63, Keith (George) Pester CO63, Dave Roberts CO62; and John exchanges regular emails with Les Rendell CO59, Michael Wiseman CO59, Tim Harvey CO59, Nigel Holman CO59, Brian Richards CO59 and (Thomas) Mark Harvey CO56. Guy has been ‘home’ (i.e., Truro) several times, and visited the School once many years ago as the aforementioned Mr Taylor had asked Guy’s father if he (Guy) would visit him. “I did so and was delighted

to see him. He obviously remembered me well and asked if I still hung around with the infamous Mike Cooney, to which I confessed.” John has visited the School several times since leaving. In fact we were looking forward to welcoming him again in 2020 but alas our plans were dashed: “If it had not been for the Covid pandemic, I would have made a farewell tour last year, I actually got as far as Southampton.” Both brothers are now happily retired, living in the sun. Guy and Diane live in Cameron Park, Northern California, the ‘Gold Country’, where he had an accounting practice for 24 years. They have two daughters, Genevieve and Amanda, who have dual citizenship (British / American), and four ‘delightful’ grandchildren, Macy, Adam, Brodie and Wyatt, all of whom live close by. In his free time Guy loves travelling, particularly to Greece and Mexico and plans to spend his future: “Living as long as possible and spending as much time as possible with my grandchildren.” John, also retired, lives on the ‘Sunshine Coast’, in Queensland, with wife Megan - they have been married for 54 years. Their son David lives near Canberra, and their daughter Bronwyn, a lawyer, is a senior manager with Boeing Defence. They have two grandchildren, Charlotte, aged 13, and Jack, 9. John describes them both as “promising cricketers.”  We all hope the Speake brothers continue to enjoy their retirement for many years to come. John celebrated his 80th birthday in June 2021 – a new decade, a new adventure? We very much hope that one day soon he will be able to complete his ‘farewell tour’ and visit Truro School where a warm welcome awaits!

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Christian May CO04 Editor in Chief, City A.M., 2015 - 2021

When Christian joined Truro School he was following in the footsteps of father, Andrew CO72 and great grandfather Rodney Ward (TS 1916-1920). In 2004 Rodney reached the remarkable age of 100 and was recorded as being the oldest living old boy on record at the time. Christian remembers travelling to the Isles of Scilly with headmaster, Paul Smith (TS Headmaster 2001-2012), for a ceremony at his family home, on the beach, which he describes as ‘a wonderful memory.’ Christan’s brothers Joshua CO01 and Arran CO08 along with cousins Ben CO03, John CO03 and Nick Hyatt CO05 and Michael CO15, Joel CO17 and Zoe CO21 May all atteneded Truro School. Coming from the Isles of Scilly meant Christian became a boarder at Truro and loved his time in the boarding houses; Poltisco and then Trennick, and he describes Truro as ‘a buzzing metropolis’ compared to the sleepy calm of the Isles. “Coming from a much smaller school on the Isles of Scilly, Truro School was something of a culture shock. Before arriving, the cinema was a treat reserved for rare trips to the mainland, so imagine my delight at being able to go every weekend. As I got older, and more involved in school life, I found myself thinking of it as a home away from home.” Christian loved the theatre and relished the drama opportunities provided at Truro. Playing half of the duo Ant and Dec as part of the opening of Jesus Christ Superstar remains a

highlight for Christian! In fact, his love of Truro School theatre productions led to him returning in his gap year to direct a Tom Stoppard play performed in the Burrell Theatre. For a long time, Christian had hopes of becoming an actor: “Maggie Hutton, the school’s fantastic London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA) coach, talked me out of it - She didn’t mean to, but she gave me an unvarnished account of what an actor’s life might entail and I realised it probably wasn’t for me.” Left with no clear idea of what he wanted to do Christian applied to study Psychology at Cardiff University but alas, did not achieve the requisite grades which he now looks back upon as a blessing. He then applied to read Politics at Exeter. “I really enjoyed it and found myself enthralled by the world of politics which took me to Westminster, working for a range of think-tanks and campaign groups.” For the past ten years Christian has lived in many locations around London, finally settling in Tooting having met wife Eliza there. They married in 2018 and have a son, Chaplin (named after Charlie), and a daughter, Amaryllis (named after a flower that grows at Christian’s home on Scilly). Christian’s brothers also live in London: Joshua is married with twin daughters and Arran is engaged. However, Most of Christian’s family are still in Cornwall or on the Isles of Scilly, which means he retains deep links with the area. He visits ‘home’, the Isles of Scilly, as often as he can and has been back to Cornwall for a few weddings, christenings, and funerals. He also remains close friends with fellow Old Truronians, Sophie Hicks CO09 and Francis Clarke CO03. In January of this year, Christian started a new career as a Managing Director at Teneo, a global CEO Advisory Firm, but from 2015 to the end of 2020 he was the Editor in Chief of City A.M., a daily business and finance newspaper in London which he describes as ‘a tabloid version of the Financial Times.’ With approximately 60 people in his team Christian had editorial responsibility for the daily newspaper, as well as magazines, website, and podcast. “The paper has around 250,000 daily readers and each day I got to write headlines for the front of a real newspaper, so it was just a tremendous amount of fun - a long way from ‘The Poltisco Times’ which I launched as a

TRURO SCHOOL ASSOCIATION 13-year-old boarding pupil, and which managed a grand total of two editions. At City A.M. I set the editorial tone of the paper and managed the news, features, and other sections.” Christian remains incredibly proud of the City A.M. team, for the way in which they reported on a range of major events from terror attacks in London to the Brexit referendum and general elections. “I am also enormously proud of the fact that so many of the young reporters I hired have gone on to become household names at Sky News, The Telegraph, Financial Times, and other media companies. Identifying and nurturing young talent was a big part of my role and something I really enjoyed.” City A.M. was an unplanned career move for Christian. The opportunity arose when he was working as Head of Communications at the Institute of Directors and the owners of City A.M. approached him with an offer to become their newspaper editor. Although Christian had completed a masters in Journalism and had always worked around the media, he had never been a journalist - let alone an editor. “I said OK, and I got stuck into learning on the job. I started work on Sunday 17 August 2015 and by the following morning I’d put together my first newspaper. At the end of that week, I had done five of them, and I fell in love with the excitement of it. It was a bold decision on the part City A.M. and the news of my appointment was met with a lot of scepticism from some parts of the media. There is no doubt in my mind that I wouldn’t be where I am if I hadn’t attended Truro School and hadn’t been able to take advantage of the many opportunities it afforded me. Being part of a community, with a sense of ‘belonging’ has always been important to me and that started with Truro School - and Scilly, of course.” Balancing family life with a demanding job and late finishes (often 11pm-midnight) brought a lot of challenges but Christian understands the importance of family time: weekends spent with his family; walking through Wimbledon Common; driving out to the country for walks and short breaks. He also loves to cook, and he and wife Eliza entertain as much as possible. Like a lot of people, they’ve really missed this over the last 18 months.

THE TRURONIAN Words for those just starting out on their career journey: “I think it’s easy to blame luck and good fortune for career success and while these things certainly have a role to play, there’s no point hiding from the fact that hard work and risk-taking probably play a larger part. I have always thrown myself into whatever job I have had and done my best to create and grab every opportunity. So, my advice to anyone, regardless of their career, is to put in the effort to do a job well, earn a reputation and never consider a position or a promotion to be out of reach. Also (as I check all this for typos) learn to write well. I have probably hired 40 people over the years and interviewed many more, and people will often fall at the first hurdle if they have not been able to produce a clear and compelling cover letter or CV. This may or may not be fair, but the ability to communicate effectively will only ever become more important in the years ahead.” The chance to join Teneo and advise some of the world’s biggest companies on complex challenges seemed ‘right up his street’ and too good an opportunity for Christian to miss - and so, a new chapter has begun! We wish Christian and his family much happiness, and hope to receive an update on his new role in the future.

“Having recently discovered how relaxing it is to have a garden and to spend time caring for it, I have been planting plenty of Amaryllis and Narcissi bulbs to remind us of Scilly.”

Christian interviewing former Prime Minister Theresa May

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Charlotte Rick CO13

THE TRURONIAN

Bitten by the travel bug - 35 countries and counting! Charlotte Rick and partner James run a Marketing and Web Design business named Isho Creative based between Brighton and Cornwall. The company is still in its infancy, in its second year, so the couple know the challenges faced by a new business, and so feel well placed to understand challenges faced by their clients and the need for flexibility in the early stages of a new business. They offer a service tailored to the requirement of each individual client, whether it’s social media, marketing, a new website, photography or simply a one-off poster design. Charlotte confesses to having the ‘travel bug’, which played a large role in the couple setting up their own business, eager to maintain their freedom to travel and not be ruled by a set amount of holiday. “I was working in Bristol after graduating and began to travel more and more whenever I had the opportunity. After leaving school I didn’t take a gap year like many students and really felt I had missed out, so eventually I decided to spend more time travelling.” During 2017 Charlotte spent a few months in Southeast Asia and she was soon hooked. “Since then, I have found it hard to stay in one place for longer than a couple of months! I’ve travelled to 35 countries so far, with plans to visit lots more!” Before her travels began in earnest, Charlotte had been working as a freelance Social Media Manager for a couple of years, and James had been working in design and events, so they decided to pool their skills and start a company together and haven’t looked back.

Charlotte and brother Oliver CO07 both attended Truro School. Charlotte joined halfway through the second year at the senior school. She believes her studies and the skills she learned at Truro School helped shape her career and who she is today, and acknowledges the importance of the friendships which began during that time, and continue today. “Like many people, I don’t think I realised what a wonderful time I’d had at school until I left. Without doubt my friends made my time at Truro School incredibly special. Joining after first year could have been difficult but I was lucky enough to make friends quickly and become part of a friendship group of 10+ girls that is still as strong today as it was back then! Even though we all live in various places, our WhatsApp group chat is active most days. This year we have even managed to finally book our ‘girls’ holiday’ which we’ve been trying to do since we were in Sixth Form - it’s only taken us seven years!” After the pandemic getting in the way, the girls now have their fingers crossed they can plan their holiday for September 2021! After leaving school in 2013, Charlotte studied marketing at University of the West of England (UWE), Bristol. “It was a bit of a last-minute decision as I just missed the grades I needed for my first-choice university, so had to go through ‘clearing’. As it happens it all worked out for the best. I started a business management with marketing degree but soon realised the management side wasn’t something I enjoyed and switched courses to concentrate purely on marketing.”

TRURO SCHOOL ASSOCIATION It was during her time at university that Charlotte met James who was a fellow UWE student. Still uncertain what to do with her Marketing degree when she graduated, Charlotte undertook an internship with a luxury concierge company in London. She then gained valuable experience in another area of the marketing world, working for a PR company, although she confesses: “I struggled to be creative in an office environment, but I am glad I experienced it because it helped me make decisions, channel my creativity and work out which direction I wanted to take my career, and that was the beginning of my travel journey.” Charlotte’s love of travel developed, and she was able to put her marketing skills to good use by freelancing to pay for her travel adventures. “And the rest, as they say, is history. At the moment Isho Creative is just James and myself, so we both do a bit of everything. I began with all the social media work for clients, as this was the area most familiar to me, but now my favourite thing is designing websites and photography. We also do graphic design, copywriting, advertising... whatever is needed really!“ Charlotte and James are living the life they love, working hard but at the same time able to indulge their passion for travel and far-off destinations. “I quickly realised I wasn’t suited to a 9-5 office job, and was quite worried I would end up doing something that I didn’t enjoy for the rest of my life. But there are so many other options out there for people who want to work for themselves and remote working has become even easier since the pandemic! I’m proud we have found a way to combine our skills and start a business that enables us to travel around the world at the same time! As all the work we do is online, we can do it from anywhere provided that we have our laptops and WIFI. So far, we’ve run our company from Cornwall, Brighton, Bali, Morzine in France and wherever else we decided to travel to!” Are there any words of advice you would like to share with anyone struggling to decide upon a career path?

THE TRURONIAN All of Charlotte’s family still live in Cornwall, including her pet pygmy hedgehog Henlo, who lives with her mum when she is away. She visits Cornwall often between destinations and moved back last year, having managed to get an emergency flight back from Bali, arriving back in the UK as the country went into lockdown. “As much as I love travel, I was very glad to be back on home soil. With so much uncertainty going on in the world, I wouldn’t have wanted to be anywhere else. We spent April-September in Cornwall, which was an amazing place to be for lockdown, then moved to Brighton in September as we wanted a change of scenery. We have lots of clients in Cornwall so visit for work reasons every couple of months. “We can’t wait for travel to open up again. Since the pandemic and lockdown, we’ve realised how lucky we were before to just be able to jump on a last-minute flight and live life with no real plan. However, the last year has given us time to work on our business and try and build that up without the distraction of travel, so that’s a silver lining. Not being able to travel has been strange as it was such a big part of our lives, but we feel very, very lucky that this luxury is the only thing we’ve lost over the past year, and we did manage to fit in a quick trip to Venice last summer when restrictions eased for a time.” In her free time, Charlotte writes a blog called Charlotterick.com which she started in 2017 documenting her travels with James when they went to Southeast Asia. “I love photography and writing so the blog allows me to combine those two things. We spend most of our free time exploring new and exciting places. Last year we spent a month in Bali before coming home due to lockdown, and before that were in Morzine for two months skiing and working!” This year, the couple have been planning their adventures closer to home, choosing to explore more places within the UK they’ve never visited although they have a ski festival booked for December with a group of friends from school - Ellie Brittain-Long, Emma Higson, Flora Cecil, Nick Byrne and Hamish Wilson (all CO13).

“To anyone who is unsure of what to do, I’d say; try not to worry. Sometimes it is discovering what you don’t enjoy that pushes you in new directions and sometimes it can be a case of trial and error! So just try different things until you discover what suits you. “To those who want to start their own business or work freelance; try to make some industry connections through an internship, work experience or your first job. It’s all about learning to network!”

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THE TRURONIAN

CLASS OF 09 TURN 30 During my teaching career, some year groups have made a bigger impact on me than others and the Class of 09 have made the greatest impact on me so far. For this year group I was a 1st, 2nd and 3rd Year tutor, I took a GCSE ICT class on Wednesday afternoons, taught physics throughout the school, taught Dual Award chemistry and physics, and A-Level geology. I also helped Mr Hunt with badminton and tennis. What made teaching this Dual Award class so special was that I knew many of the students very well, they were also a talented and diverse group, skilled in sports, the creative arts, modern languages, humanities and science. Dual Award has a reputation being for the less academically able, but that was definitely not the case for this class, who did superbly well at GCSE and have gone on to even greater success since then. Lizzie’s photograph of the class stayed on my office wall for many years, before an office move led to me filing the photo. Lockdown provided an opportunity for a clear out and it was a real pleasure to find the photo and be reminded of a year group I enjoyed teaching, who have also matured into impressive adults who are making such a significant impact in a wide range of fields. Mr Mark Vanston Director of Studies

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Where are they now?

James Honeybone Team GB Athlete / Account Sales Manager at Leon Paul London, UK

THE TRURONIAN

Claire Powers Head of Strategic Communications for Brexit, UK Government London, UK Dr Eli Sheppard Computer Vision Engineer Edinburgh, UK

Dom Gilchrist Head of Schools Strategy Unit at The Department for Education London, UK

Charlotte Rayment Digital Marketing Specialist / Creative Coach Falmouth, Cornwall Glen Heather Mining Technical Engineer Stithians, Cornwall

Lizzie Moore Senior Associate, KPMG Vienna, Sustainability Services Vienna, Austria

Will Gottelier Project architect at Architecture For London Plumbstead, London Lucy Cotton Senior Geologist at GeoScience LTD Truro, Cornwall

Rachel Chetwynd-Cowieson Programme Manager at Home Office London, UK

Samuel Schenk Paediatric Critical Care Outreach Nurse London, UK Tim Sykes Marine Operations Manager Mawnan, Cornwall

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THE TRURONIAN

Huw Williams CO97

What’s driving down the numbers of applicants to Earth Science degree programmes? Huw attended Truro School from 1990 to 1997 and is now among our valued Old Truronians committed to passing on his knowledge to our current students by supporting the Truro School Connected initiative. He has visited school whenever his schedule allows, assisting Mrs Kenward (Head of Careers) offering advice and guidance and helping to inspire and encourage aspiring geologists. In 2019 Huw was also able to offer a Truro School Sixth Form student, Ollie Brocklebank CO19, work experience before he commenced his geology degree course at St Andrews.

In this interview Huw talks about his experiences and his passion for earth sciences: I remember looking forward to starting GSCE ‘colouring-In’, or Geology as it was called by those unaware that they were living in the Holocene. As budding earth scientists, we were trained to gaze past our shoes and look into the ground beneath our feet. And weren’t we onto something special? Hammering home Mohs’ Scale of hardness, stratovolcanoes, Mr Kenyon’s (TS Geography Teacher) Jurassic

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‘fashion’ ties, halite salt lick, the Moho discontinuity, uniformitarianism, a cold day measuring crustal shortening in Bude (I still carry the scars) and rocks accompanied by the informal rock music discussion forum. I hoped at the time that this could lead into some worthy career. Perhaps peering at a desert from a helicopter looking for minerals or trekking through wilderness with a hammer looking for an outcrop to tap-tap-tap. I didn’t know what ‘rock time’ in the rock room could lead to. And as it turns out, 24 (!) years later I’m still on the rocks.

THE TRURONIAN

Although I haven’t had my helicopter ride yet, I have been fortunate enough to live in some amazing places; now based in Galicia, Spain for two years I have enjoyed two stints in New Zealand for nine years, three years in Sydney, Australia, three years in London and an unusual 18 months in Nuneaton (don’t ask!). I’ve worked on projects across Australasia, a highlight of which was Island hopping the Cook and Solomon Islands. What’s not to like about exploring New Zealand, Australia, California, Latin America… and all this can be traced back to the rock room at Truro School.

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For me, this raises an important question - With a challenging and exciting career to be had, what’s driving down the numbers of applications to Earth Science degree programmes? Especially when the cornerstone of environmental practice and sustainability so often relies on the earth science community to find solutions to some our most pressing problems. The young seem geared up to save the planet, so why ignore a route through further education that may best equip them to do so? It’s believed to be a perception problem… Yes, many in the earth sciences get involved in fossil fuel and raw materials extraction - but there’s no steel for windmills without iron ore and coking coal. I’m no advocate for more coal and more digging, but I am a strong supporter of obtaining the raw materials for more windmills, solar panels, heat pumps, batteries and anything else that technological and engineering sustainability solutions necessarily relies upon, in the safest and least damaging manner that we possibly can.

THE TRURONIAN After we’ve reduced, re-used and re-cycled, and until the day comes that we can do away with the extraction of raw materials altogether (not in our lifetimes!) we need a well-informed and experienced earth science community. I think we need to decouple the over-simplification that mining equals destruction with a betterinformed understanding of how your smart phone, electric vehicle, solar panel and pretty much everything else that hasn’t been grown by a farmer, has actually come into being, and what legacy it can leave once an extraction site has been exhausted. That’s all well outside the scope of these few hundred words but think of this as a call to find out for yourselves. It’s also worth pointing out that we’re not just talking mining when we talk of earth sciences. I wonder what comes to mind when thinking of the best route into an environmental career? Or a career in sustainability. Or even how one defines these in the first place…. They both suffer from being highly aspirational life and career goals without having a clear route as to how they are achieved. Certainly, when I bought my colouring pencils, I didn’t think a degree in geology and post-grad in hydrogeology would lead me to energy efficiency, renewable energy and sustainable groundwater resource management, which are the fields I now predominantly work in. Water and energy are directly involved in at least seven of the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals, and arguably more.

And that’s what gets me excited about work every day… the optimisation of energy efficiency and carbon emission reductions via Ground Source Heat Pump systems, for which I have been involved in many of the largest systems in the UK, NZ and OZ, having been lucky enough to be at the pioneering stages of this technology in each of these three countries. Now I’m increasingly peering into geothermal energy production. Having lived in NZ where parts of the ground are literally boiling, it seemed silly not to, so I’ve been involved in projects across much of Latin America. You’ll have seen how Truro School alumni are involved in geothermal energy in Cornwall. Well, we’ve a similar situation in Galicia, for which we’re trying to establish a similar project. And I still have time for sustainable water use. The basis of my hydrogeology post-grad and backbone of much of my career is concerned with how water flows through the ground and what a borehole or well, will do in a certain location and how to manage this resource in a sustainable manner. These are the three main concerns of my career and life. I’m extremely proud and excited to work on the sustainability of these precious resources such that we can continue to enjoy them long after I’ve coloured-in my last.

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THE TRURONIAN

Aspiring Healthcare Professionals and Medical Pathways Programme The number of aspiring healthcare professionals in the student body continues to grow and their exploration of the options available to them has continued to be very well supported by parents and alumni as well as students from Exeter Medical School. We are very grateful to all for their input. During the second half of the spring term, students received a talk from parent Dr Jane Gibbins (ConsultantPalliative Care) who sensitively described the support that she and her team offer to people in end-oflife care. We also had a talk from former student, Bonnie Bayley Skinner CO18, who is at the other end of her medical career, reading medicine at Exeter Medical School. Bonnie gave the students a flavour of the daily life of a medical school, as well as talking honestly about the challenges alongside the highlights. Old Truronian Dr Chris Johnston CO11, (Junior Clinical FellowCardiology) at St Thomas’ Hospital shared details about his career to date, including aspects that he wished he had known before he embarked on the journey. Students from Exeter University supported the ‘Mock Multiple Mini Interviews’ arranged for the Lower Sixth at the start of the summer term. Although Truro School

students embarked on the online interview process with a degree of apprehension, they all found the experience extremely useful and a process which will be of benefit as they make their applications for September 2022. For those interested in dentistry, Old Truronian Dr Lucy Conrad CO86, offered insight into her work in General Practice and at Bristol University Dental School, all of which the students found helpful and fascinating. We always welcome input from our Truro School community, which includes the parental body and alumni, so please do get in touch with Miss Sarah Finnegan, Coordinator of The Medical Pathways Programme (sef@truroschool.com), if you think you might be able to help. Alternatively, please complete the Truro School Connected form and read a little more about the initiative.

Sarah Finnegan Head of Biology & P.S.H.E.E. Medics, Dentists & Vets Coordinator

SEF@truruoschool.com

Burrell Society Lecture Series

The Burrell Soceity Lecture Series will return for 2021/22 from September. The series will include stimulating and topical lectures presented by a range of guest speakers including Old Truronians; Daniel Wormald CO13 Connie Schneider CO95 and Dr Harry Fonesca Williams CO10 Dates to be confirmed.

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THE TRURONIAN

SUMMER TERM 2021

offering advice, guidance, networking and opportunities for current students and alumni. Head of Careers, Nancy Kenward, talks about the invaluable resource that is Truro School Community; alumni and parents and the difference they make to our current students. After a fantastic series of virtual careers events run over the last two terms, it was amazing to finally welcome back some Old Truronians on to the campus. In June we ran our annual Post 18 Options Days for our Lower Sixth, and I asked for advice and assistance from our most recent former pupils via a LinkedIn post on Truro School Connected. As usual, I was overwhelmed with the willingness of our alumni to get involved and it was lovely to see so many familiar faces joining us remotely, and in person. Sam Haywood CO17 shared his experiences of travelling in New Zealand and Australia and gave us some amazing top tips in our Gap Years session. Jack Hughes CO09 gave an inspiring talk about following your passions and running your own business; he talked about his unlikely career path from an English Literature degree to starting up his tech business, Syncify, in one of the most popular sessions of the day (see Jack’s story on pages 26-27). For our STEM Careers session, we were joined by Alix Partridge

CO11, who talked about his fascinating career so far and his current work with soft robotics while he completes his PHD at Bristol. Heads of Departments were also joined by former pupils who were able to give a valuable insight in to studying particular degree courses at university. Alicia Jeffries-Jones CO15 came in to help with the Biology / Marine Biology session- having completed a degree in Biomedicine at UEA and then went on a Masters in Genomic Medicine at Imperial College, London. She is currently doing a PGCE and we are looking forward to welcoming her back to the Truro School Biology department in September. Lachlan Ross and Elliot Mier, CO20 came in to help out with the popular session about studying Economics or Business degrees and shared their experiences at university so far. Rufus Martin CO20 came in to talk about his degree in Astrophysics at Edinburgh University. We are also very much indebted to former pupil Dan Hill CO20, who left last year, who launched our World AIMS days for the 1st- 4th Years at the end of term. This year’s theme was ‘Let Creation Breathe’ (see page 57) and their help also proved invaluable during the air quality survey sessions run by Mrs Wormald.

Our former pupils offer incredible first-hand advice to our current pupils; whether they attend a careers event or answer one of my many pleas for industry advice via LinkedIn, we are so lucky that our alumni are so generous with their time. The Truro School Community page on LinkedIn is an excellent way of staying in touch with us. We update the page with local and national job opportunities, information on work experience, conference and internships which will be of interest to our former pupils. We would encourage all former pupils, no matter what age, to connect with us so that they too can access this amazing network of Truro School alumni and become part of TSCONNECTED. Nancy Kenward, Head of Careers, Teacher

If you would like to be active participant and become part of the Truro School Connected initiative, whatever the level of help you can offer, whether it is offering job opportunities, careers advice, guidance or work experience, or take be part in the Careers Convention, or if you would like to help fellow alumni in your career field then please, get in touch with Nancy Kenward nk@truroschool.com or email the Development Office team: TSconnections@truroschool.com.

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THE TRURONIAN

Truro School Foundation

Reflecting on the last year

At that time, we will also close the Guy Dodd Appeal – which currently stands at £40,000 – so if you would like to donate, please do so as soon as you can by visiting the Guy Dodd Appeal online giving platform.

With the lifting of many of the Covid restrictions, there appears to be a sense of normality returning to our lives. I wonder how the trials and tribulations of the last 18 month will be remembered ? Will we revert to our old way of life,  or carry the memories and lessons of the past and change our behaviours in future? I’d like to think we’ll become more understanding, inclusive and empathetic. Principles exhibited by our new head Andy Johnson and new Head of Governors, Richard Thomas. For our part, the Truro School Foundation donated £50,000 to the School’s Emergency Bursary Fund – as did the Truro School Association. This depleted our reserves severely, so I would like to thank everyone who has contributed and donated to our Foundations’ funds, helping replenish those much-needed reserves.

We have formally welcomed new trustees to the Foundation this year and they have hit the ground sprinting. I would like to thank them for their time, expertise and dedication to keeping us ‘trim and true’. Our Trustees are a great asset to us and help us function effectively, ensuring compliance with the Charity Commission and Companies House. The G7 (actually, it’s G8 technically – and ended up being G10 this year - Someone very important seems to have missed a maths lesson or two!) group of countries came to visit us in Cornwall and I think showed our county off admirably - I like to think the School might benefit from such a global showcase. Sadly, we have to say a couple of goodbyes:

honest, principled, committed and hugely invested in all that we do. If you are not a regular reader of one of Nicky’s initiatives – Keeping Connected – please do read it – it’s packed with interesting articles and topics, and there is something of genuine interest for everyone One of the effects of Covid will be more uncertainty and more change – whilst sometimes unsettling, change is often a good thing in the longer term. How we prepare ourselves for the future and cope with its uncertainties will define us all in the eyes of future generations – the Foundation wants to ensure those generations continue to benefit from the education at Truro School, so any donations are very gratefully received. Together we can help to change lives – the more money we raise, the more lives we can change. Even with my old Maths O- Level, I see it as a simple formula!

Graham Hooper Old Truronian Parent & Chairman of Truro School Foundation

Jayne Grigg has been at the School for almost 30 years, and has been central to many of the School’s activities – including the Foundation. Jayne leaves with our sincere thanks and very best wishes [and a bottle of Isle of Harris ‘Esse Quam Videri’ gin].

No reflection of the past year can be complete without mention of our previous chair, Guy Dodd.

We also say goodbye to Nicky Berridge whose title is ‘Clerk to the Trustees’ – but Nicky has been so much more.

Whilst Guy’s passing remains raw, his beliefs and values still guide us and we look forward to the Celebration of Guy’s life at the School on 21 August with Guy’s family and friends.

Nicky has been the very best advocate for our Foundation,  central to initiating and implementing plans and ideas, and an absolute joy to work with –

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THE TRURONIAN

Meet the Foundation Trustees Graham Hooper Foundation Trustee & Chairman Trusteeship began: Chairmanship:

September 2016 January 2020

Graham Hooper has had a long association with Truro School being the father to two Old Truronians, George CO14 and Will CO17, both of whom attended from Prep School through to Truro Senior School, leaving after Sixth Form. Graham graduated with a first-class honours degree in Business Studies from Thames Polytechnic and has a background is in the financial services industry. He has over 30 year’s experience as a company director involving corporate governance, regulatory change, mergers and acquisitions and has particular experience in distribution – restructuring, sales, marketing, PR, new product and service development, managing people and change. Graham worked under the Labour government for the Giving Campaign, as well as the Conservative Party on financial policy, the BBC and the Financial Times. He is a published author having written the BBC book ‘Pay Off Your Mortgage in Two Years’, and writes regularly for the financial services press. Graham is a director of a fintech security business and works as an advisor with Goonhilly Earth Station. As well as being a trustee of Truro School Foundation, he is also treasurer, director and trustee of the Wave Project.. Graham is an ardent rugby fan as well as keeping fit, rowing, surfing, fishing and singing with the ‘Fiddle Me Timbers’ shanty group.

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THE TRURONIAN

Kim Conchie Foundation Trustee Trusteeship began: TS Governor:

September 2016 2013 to August 2020

Kim Conchie is an Old Truronian parent, Kim’s association with Truro School began when Henry CO11 joined, followed by Charlie CO13 and Florence CO17. Kim was also a Governor of Truro School for 7 years, retiring as Chair of Governors in 2020. Kim graduated from University College, Cardiff with joint honours in English and Economics. He now runs two micro-businesses from home in Falmouth and is the Co-Founder of Navas Drinks Ltd. He took up the post as Chief Executive at Cornwall Chamber in April 2012, is vice chair of Cornwall Community Foundation and a director of Cornwall Arts Centre Trust. In 2019 Kim was appointed to the Falmouth Placeshaping Board and in November 2019, he was appointed a Deputy Lieutenant of Cornwall. In addition to his working life, his wife Sarah and three twenty-something children, his garden, Falmouth Rugby Club and walking the Coast Path are sources of great enjoyment.

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THE TRURONIAN

A View From The Chamber Are B Corporations (BCorps) and the Triple Bottom Line of people, place and planet on your radar? Will they be your priority as you gain more control in your department or business? How can you personally activate them? What will make them meaningful? You are part of a world where an 18year old (Greta Thunberg) and a 95year old (Sir David Attenborough) have more in common than millions of people in between. Why is that? What is the unifying factor?

In a bizarre turn of events, the first half of 2021 saw us locked down, yet preparing to welcome G7 leaders and the world’s media. It was vital that Cornwall positioned itself in such a way that it would be seen as the authority on sustainability and collaboration - a region capable of leading the green revolution. Organisations like Cornwall Chamber, Cornwall and Isles of Scilly LEP, Cornwall Trade and Investment and many others produced events, exhibitions, videos, printed copy and recorded briefings to ensure that the messaging was right and the opportunities were clearly visible to journalists and the world leaders. I think we achieved what we set out to: to present Cornwall in such a way that it benefits from the G7 legacy long term. The challenge now is to keep momentum going. One of Cornwall Chamber’s key objectives this year is to engage with the younger generation. What do you want Cornwall to be famous for? The challenge will always be keeping the Duchy’s values whilst attracting interest. Our average wage is 17% lower than the national average – we want that to go up, but at what cost? What is important to you – and what’s not?

All of these questions are important for establishing what Cornwall should look like in the future. It’s important that the messages organisations like ourselves are putting out there are appropriate for the Duchy going forward, so by working with young businesspeople and understanding their aspirations for Cornwall, we stand a much better chance of getting it right. We’re connecting with the new era of entrepreneurs in a number of ways. Our 30 under 30 awards recognise the exceptional talent that exists in the under 30s in Cornwall. The 2021 winners were announced in the June issue of Business Cornwall, and what a fantastic bunch they are – two of them Truro School alumni! These awards are a great career enhancement – I’ve seen many a CV with ‘2018, 30 under 30 winner’ listed, and so it should be! The success of the awards, coupled with strong evidence to suggest that young businesspeople in Cornwall have felt they’ve lost a year when it comes to opportunities to progress their career (like networking and training), has led us to launch ‘Surge’. Surge is a Chamber networking group specifically for businesspeople under 30. Many businesses reserve their networking tickets for more experienced members of staff, leaving the new kids on the block

who are full of enthusiasm and energy, sat at a desk. By creating a network and a space for budding entrepreneurs to grow, learn and make valuable contacts, we stand a much better chance of keeping talent in Cornwall. It definitely feels like a shift change is happening in the Duchy: suddenly the world has become aware of Cornwall as both a tourist destination and a leader in sustainability and collaboration, but an awareness of Cornwall in 2020 after many holidayed here instead of abroad has contributed to a housing and hospitality crisis. So, now is the time to start reshaping our future to make tourism sustainable, houses affordable and the average wage higher. It won’t be me driving forward these changes in 30 years’ time, so it’s really important to

me that we as a Chamber start having conversations with the business leaders of tomorrow. You!

Kim Conchie CEO Cornwall Chamber of Commerce, Deputy Lieutenant, OT Parent, Foundation Trustee

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THE TRURONIAN

‘Digging for the past in the 1960s’ This article arose from an email I received earlier in the year from John Stevens CO69, who got in touch after the film The Dig, about Sutton Hoo, was released.

Looking for further information in the school archive I took a closer look at a folder labelled ‘Borlase Society’. Inside were membership cards and minute books.

“The recent release of ‘The Dig’ about the ground-breaking (!) archaeological discoveries at Sutton Hoo (a couple of miles away from where we live) took me back to my school days in the 60s.

The first meeting of the Society was held at the end of the Autumn Term 1962. Mr Penna (TS 1932-37 and TS staff 1945-79) was elected to the Chair, with Mr Searle (TS staff 1960-65) as the Vice-Chair. It was proposed that the Society should have a programme of lectures, aim to build up a museum of its own, and visit sites of archaeological interest, with a view to eventually making an excavation of its own. The name Borlase Society, named after Dr William Borlase, the Cornish antiquary and naturalist, was adopted in September 1963, and the Society was later granted permission to use a Borlase family coat of arms. It was not long before a Junior Archaeological Society was formed as well.

“Leonard Penna (Geography Master and Housemaster) … marshalled a group of enthusiasts (4/5/6th Formers) on sunny Sundays to develop an archaeological dig in the middle of sand dunes somewhere on the north coast of Cornwall. We actually found signs of civilisation – some walls of a building. “I have been racking my brain to remember the location – I seem to remember we had to go into an MOD area … close to the north end of Perranporth beach. If so, then our dig would have been in the vicinity of the ruins of St Piran’s church and St Piran’s Oratory.”

The talks given to the Society included ones by Miss Dorothy Dudley on burial mounds, Mr P.A.S. Pool on Dr William Borlase, Mr A.C. Thomas on an archaeological site at Gwithian and Mr H.L. Douch on Cornish windmills. It was not long before a hands-on excavation was planned. On 30 October 1963 an expedition took place to Ellenglaze Manor, near Cubert, to start the process of applying for permission for the Society to excavate in Perran Sands. In 1945 Mr Penna had discovered and photographed walls buried by blown sand, and this was the site that was proposed for excavation.

The party met at 3pm and proceeded to the site which was not far from the stream near Ellenglaze Manor. ‘Here mounds in the ground were observed, proving, on a trial dig, to be caused by stones, laid out in order, below the surface’ (Borlase Society Minute Book, October 1963). The land agent was satisfied with the evidence and permission was granted for the dig. Plans gathered pace, and it was proposed to have an equipment hut, which was provided by Mr Douch from the Royal Cornwall Museum. Tools and equipment were soon acquired, the first being surveying arrows, a cross staff and a 100 ft tape to aid a geographical survey overseen by Mr A.J. Tonkin (TS 1925-32 and TS staff 1937-78). A botany survey was to be carried out by Mr H.A. Shrimpton, and technical advice for the dig would be provided by Miss Dudley. In October 1964 Mr Penna was able to give an update on the site, ‘showing the now completed plan and also samples of nails and pottery which he said tied the site to 8th or 9th century’.

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After the preparatory work was carried out the excavation began in 1965. The weather proved to be a great hindrance, so work was carried out slowly, but several maps showing the layout of the stones were made by March 1966 (The Truronian, March 1965). However, in July 1966 the school magazine reported that ‘…no excavation at Perran Sands has been possible this summer, because of some lake that appeared from nowhere almost overnight and obliterated the dig…’ (The Truronian, July 1966). To resolve the problem a pump was acquired which removed the water from the trenches, and another 18 inches depth was removed when work was able to continue in September (L.J. Penna, ‘Excavation News 1966-67: Perran Sands’, Cornwall Archaeology, No.6, 1967). More finds came to light, which included pieces of pottery and animal bones. From this it was thought ‘that the date of the site is somewhere between 800 and 1200 AD and is somewhat larger than expected…’ (The Truronian, December 1967). In

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Cornwall Archaeology, 1967, Mr Penna described the remains of the building that they had found ‘the south wall was located, showing the building to about 32ft long, aligned N-S. The west wall is presumably under the high flanking dune. The building stone, preponderantly poor local slate and lumpy quartz, also shows some rare pieces of imported granite. The stone scatter all over the hollow continued to appear at all levels working downward. Most of these stones had come from the walls during periods when the ruin was exposed at different levels in the past. Piles of stones heaped precariously against the wall, but resting on sand inclines, showed where collapses and slides had taken place. Throughout the sandy layer, large numbers of small fragments of slate and quartz have been noted. At the lowest level reached, we came across deposits of hardpan which suggest a previous lower level of flooding in the hollow’ (Penna, ‘Excavation News 1966-67’). Unfortunately, in June 1967 it was reported to the Society that ‘owing to the height of the water-table the

pits contained various amounts of water, making further excavation impossible for the time being’ (Borlase Society Minute Book, June 1967). Visits to the excavation continued during the winter of 1968 but were limited due to the cold weather. There was optimism that more work could be carried out in the warmer weather and more finds would come to light. By July 1968 about half the site had been cleared down to the clay level and in some places even further down. Some early conclusions, drawn from the items found there, included that the date could be narrowed to 900-950 AD, and that mussel shells had signs of being used for primitive manufacturing, such as for shaping pottery. ‘Small finds, mostly from the light brown clayey sand, include animal teeth and bones, fish bones, the shells of molluscs, slate pot-lids or thatch-weights, an unfinished spindle-whorl, and some 50 to 60 fragments of pottery’ (Penna, ‘Excavation News 1967-68’, Cornwall Archaeology, no. 7, 1968).

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THE TRURONIAN present site revealed an older house and a considerable amount of pottery, but this has not been examined any further…’ (The Truronian, December 1968). In March 1969 the school magazine reported that ‘there has been no work at Perran this term due to the excavation being under a foot of water. It is hoped to invest in several frogmen’s suits early next term’ (The Truronian, March 1969).

At the Borlase Society’s AGM in June 1968, Mr Penna reported that there had been a ‘complete reversal in the state of affairs since last year, changing the excavation from a group of muddy pits into one of the great excavations being conducted in the County because of the acquisition of a pumping engine to drain the site which has also lead to an increase in the number of boys visiting the excavation each week from 8 to as many as 30. He then pointed out that this is the first proper excavation of a site on Perran Sands and that he believed both this building and the Oratory to be contemporary, being built about 900-950 A.D.’ (Borlase Society Minute Book, June 11th 1968). Work slowed again due to bad weather and less enthusiasm, but the excavation continued to make progress and ‘a piece of remarkably well-preserved leather was found on the occupation level. An exploratory cutting near the

At the 1969 AGM, Mr Penna expressed ‘his disappointment of finding the site of Ellenglaze a miniature lake due to the heaviest rainfall for over 30 years. He doubted whether the water could be drained if the Society had 20 pumps and raised the difficult question as to the future of the site. Mr Penna put forward an argument for filling in the site and leaving further excavation for a professional party of possibly more skilful, better equipped and paid labour. In the light of the great advancement during that year and the exciting and interesting finds from the site the chairman was in two minds about this and determined to leave this decision to a future date’ (Borlase Society Minutes, June 17th 1969).

against the adverse conditions or whether to fill the site in and leave our records for a professional, better equipped and possibly more skilled party to continue at a later date. Unless conditions improve greatly the latter course will be taken, for to attempt an excavation in mud and water would prove impossible’. Unfortunately, it was not long before the bad weather completely got the upper hand. ‘The excavation at Ellenglaze was unworkable due to the high water table which kept the bottom of the trenches under water with which our pump could not cope. Reluctantly, therefore, the site was filled in and the equipment and hut brought back to school’ (Terraces, 1971). Instead the Borlase Society turned its attention to other excavations, including helping digs at Longstone Down, near St Austell; one near a standing stone, and the other a barrow which contained buried remains and a large wooden ladle about 15 inches long. Jo Wood Truro School Researcher / Archivist

The report in Terraces in 1970 echoed the conclusion: ‘the future of the excavation at Perran is unfortunately very gloomy… This is a great pity as the excavation has reached its most exciting and rewarding stage with many interesting finds being discovered including pottery, shells, bones, charcoal and leather. The moral issue is whether to attempt an excavation of the interior of the house

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Truro School Foundation Commemorative Garden

Scattered around the grounds of Truro School are quite a number of commemorative trees planted in memory of Old Truronians. We are very often asked if loved one can be remembered in this way. Recently to commemorate the School’s 140th anniversary (2020) pupils and staff planned 140 trees around the grounds, so it is becoming increasingly difficult to identify suitable locations for new commemorative trees. The Trustees of Truro School Foundation felt it would be a wonderful idea to create a formal, special place within the School grounds, specifically to remember those who have gone before. The Development Team discussed For a small fee (to cover the cost of the idea with Tom (Head Gardner) the rose and plaque) anyone wishing and Craig, members of the Truro to remember an Old Truronian in School gardening team and this way, may choose a rose (by consequently they have designed, colour, white, red, pink, yellow or what will undoubtedly be a beautiful, orange) which will be marked with a peaceful, calm space, on one of commemorative plaque. There will the three lawned terraces at the also be a number of spaces specially for benches should anyone wish to front of the school. Work on the sponsor one of these, upon which commemorative garden will begin the name of their loved one can be in the Autumn and will include placed. formal hedging, rose beds, with underplanting of snowdrops and Old Truronians are at the heart of our bluebells. This area was chosen so history and we hope this garden will that it is easily accessible by those become a very special place. wishing to visit and spend a little time in this special place. If you would like to reserve a rose and plaque please email: TSConnections@truroschool.com or telephone: 01872 246010

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THE TRURONIAN

Thank You Nicky We would like to express a heartfelt thank you to Nicky Berridge who will be leaving us over the summer. Nicky joined Truro School as Development and Alumni Relations Manager in March 2016. However, as the mother, wife and daughter-in-law of Truro School Alumni you could almost say she was already part of the family. She has been instrumental in building our programme of communications, a wide range of events from the Alumni Dinner to the Afternoon Tea and reunions in Bristol and London, the launch of the Truro School Foundation and two Bursary campaigns and an inspirational Truro School Connected programme for our Sixth Formers. Throughout the pandemic, she has made sure all our alumni have received regular contact and in some cases has linked those who had previously lost contact so they could Zoom their way through lockdowns 1, 2 and 3. All that the Team has achieved is through Nicky’s passion and energy and we have been very fortunate indeed to have had her with us for the last five years. Nicky’s ingenuity has helped unite members of the Old Truronian community who had lost touch with the school and fellow classmates by creating more inclusive and varied reunion events. Nicky’s first reunion was the Afternoon Tea Party for Alumni in 2016, an event which became increasingly popular so that by 2019 Old Truronians’ attendance had more than doubled. In 2018 Nicky started the Truro School Connected initiative bringing together current students and Old Truronians to assist each other with careers advice and opportunities. This has gone from strength to strength paving the way for the TSConnected Bristol reunion event which she introduced in 2019. Through Nicky’s care, kindness and commitment she has managed to expand engagement with our Old Truronians. The progress she has made is not only evident by the increased attendance at events but also in the ever increasing numbers of willing participants to be featured in our publications. This enthusiasm has enabled Nicky to grow The Truronian magazine from a single edition with 35 pages published annually, to a 70+ page magazine now published three times a year! Under Nicky’s supervision, the Development Team has brought the monthly newsletter Keeping Connected - into the 21st century with her new digital format allowing Old Truronians to access the newsletter instantly wherever they may be in the world. Truro School students from the past have been brought into the focus of the students today when Nicky organised refurbishment of the honours boards (dating back to 1880) and more recently initiated the creation of a memorial rose garden, which is to be a quiet place to remember those we have lost. Nicky has been an amazing Clerk to the Foundation supporting Guy Dodd and, most recently, Graham Hooper, as Chair. She has been instrumental in the launch of our two major fund raising campaigns, each of which has raised money to allow Truro School Foundation to offer life-changing bursaries to students who would otherwise not be able to attend the school.

The Development and Alumni team would like to thank Nicky for all this and so much more, and wish her the best on her next adventure.

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Truro Cookery School this edition I have included a set of three “ For recipes - all Summer classics that can be made together as a Greek menu - to remind us of what it is like to go on holiday!

”

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Maria Taylor CO86 - Head of Truro School Cookery.

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Cookery School Recipe Moussaka

Method 1.

Pre-heat the oven to 180°C / 350°F / gas mark 4.

Thinly slice the aubergines, and layer with salt in a colander. Leave to stand over a draining board for a minimum of 30 minutes until the bitter juices run out.

Parboil the potatoes for 10 – 15 minutes in salted water until they are cooked slightly but still firm in the middle. Drain and leave to cool slightly.

Peel and finely chop the onion.

and cut into large chunks

Peel and crush the garlic.

Plenty of olive oil

Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large pan and gently fry the onion and garlic until golden.

Add the lamb and fry until browned and well broken up.

Ingredients 2 medium aubergines 3 large potatoes, peeled

1 large onion 2 cloves garlic 500 g minced lamb 1 heaped teaspoonful dried oregano

8. Add the oregano, cinnamon, parsley, salt and pepper and tinned tomatoes. 9.

Half fill the empty tomato tin with water and swill around to rinse out the tomato residue, then add this to the lamb mixture along with the tomato puree and sugar.

1 x 400g tin chopped

10.

Reduce the lamb mixture to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes to half an hour, stirring from time to time and adding a little more water if the mixture appears too thick.

tomatoes

11.

Wash the aubergines and dry thoroughly.

1 heaped teaspoon sugar

12.

Heat olive oil in a clean frying pan, and fry the aubergine slices a few at a time until they are all golden brown on both sides. Drain really well on kitchen towel

Salt and Pepper

13.

Slice the cooled parboiled potatoes into thick slices.

14.

Melt the butter in a saucepan and stir in the flour. Remove the pan from the heat and gradually stir in the milk.

2 egg yolks

15.

Heat the sauce until it is bubbling – it will be a thin consistency.

100 g strong flavoured

16.

Remove the sauce from the heat and leave to cool slightly whilst you grate the cheese.

17.

Stir the egg yolks into the cooled sauce with half the grated cheese. Stir until well combined and the cheese is melted.

18.

In a large ovenproof baking dish layer half the lamb, half the aubergines and half the potatoes. Repeat with a second layer until all the ingredients are used up.

19.

Carefully pour the cheese custard over the top of the dish, and top with the remaining grated cheese.

20.

Bake for 45 minutes until the moussaka is golden and bubbling.

1 heaped teaspoonful dried cinnamon Handful fresh parsley, finely chopped

2 tablespoons tomato puree

25 g butter 1 tablespoon flour ¾ pint milk

cheese e.g. cheddar, grated

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THE TRURONIAN

Cookery School Recipe Greek Salad

Ingredients

Method

2 red peppers

1. Blacken the skins of the peppers using a gas flame or under a hot grill.

6 tablespoons olive oil 2 tablespoons lemon juice ½ teaspoon dried oregano ½ cucumber 4 medium tomatoes 1 very small red onion 1 bag washed watercress 12 black olives 200 g feta cheese 2 sprigs fresh oregano 2 sprigs fresh mint Salt and black pepper

Place the blackened peppers in a bowl and cover with cling film. Leave to cool.

Whisk the olive oil and lemon juice together, stir in the dried oregano and season with a little salt and pepper.

Peel the skins from the peppers, remove and discard the seeds and cores and cut into bite sized pieces. Pour the dressing over the peppers, stir to mix and leave to marinate.

Deseed the cucumber then chop into chunks.

Halve the tomatoes, remove the tough cores and chop into similar sized chunks to the cucumber.

Slice the onion very thinly.

Assemble the salad on a large serving plate or in individual bowls, placing the watercress at the bottom then scattering the cucumber, tomatoes, red onion and olives over the top.

Crumble the feta cheese into largish chunks and scatter these over the top.

10.

Remove the leaves from the mint and oregano, roughly chop then scatter these over the top of the feta cheese.

11.

Spoon the marinated peppers over the top, then season with

black pepper before serving.

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Cookery School Recipe Baklava

Method

Ingredients 300 g sugar 300 ml water 100 ml Greek honey 1 cinnamon stick 2 strips of orange zest 100 g walnuts 100 g almonds 100 g pistachios

Preheat the oven to 180°C / 350°F / gas mark 4.

Place the sugar, water, honey, cinnamon stick and orange in a medium saucepan and bring to a gentle simmer. Let it simmer, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes or until the liquid has reduced by a third. Leave to cool completely.

Blitz the nuts in a food processor until coarse, then tip into a bowl and stir through the cinnamon and cloves.

Melt the butter, and use a little of it to lightly grease a 35 x 25cm shallow tin with a pastry brush.

Gently unfold the filo and cover with a damp tea towel to stop it cracking.

Layer 4 sheets of filo in the tin brushing each layer generously with melted butter, then scatter over half the nut mixture.

Repeat this process with 4 layers of filo and the rest of the nuts, although the piece f filo which touches the nuts will need to be brushed both sides with butter.

Top in the same way with the last 4 layers of filo, then generously butter the top.

2 tsp ground cinnamon 1/4 tsp ground cloves 200 g butter 1 X 270g packets (12 sheets) of filo pastry

9. Trim any edges of filo which stick out the sides of the tin then cut into diamonds or small squares with a sharp knife, making sure the blade goes right to the bottom.

10.

Bake on the middle shelf of the oven on a hot baking sheet for 30–35 minutes, or until golden brown and crisp, reducing the temperature to 170ºC/gas mark 3 if the baklava looks as though it is browning too quickly.

11.

Remove the baklava from the oven and spoon half the cooled syrup over the top. Leave for 5 minutes, then spoon over the remaining syrup.

12.

Allow the baklava to cool before removing the individual pieces from the tin with a palette knife.

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Truro School Cookery Courses

Cookery courses available to book online at: https://truroschoolcookery.com/cookery-courses-cornwall/

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Truro School Enterprises Back in January 2020 I started as the Business Development Manager for Truro School Enterprises. What a time to start a new role! However, fast forward to the present day and it’s heart-warming to see ‘green shoots’ of recovery. Truro School Enterprises supports Truro School by opening up the amazing facilities to the local community. One of the many positive developments during the last lockdown was the relining of the School’s 25-metre swimming pool. These improvements have been well received by the PE department, the School’s swimming squads and our community swimming members. Being an Old Truronian (CO03) it was great to be part of this pool upgrade and I began reminiscing about the buzz of excitement around the school in 1996 when the Olympic swimmer Nick Gillingham opened the newly refurbished swimming pool. As a nervous 1st year I was thankful that we had the luxury of an indoor heated pool rather than having to brave the elements as so many Old Truronians had in the past. Truro School Enterprises offers great value gym and swimming membership options at the Sir Ben Ainslie Sports Centre, venue hire and of course, the experience of a Truro School Cookery course is one not to be missed!

Sam Willsher CO03 Business Development Manager Truro School Enterprises

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1950s

2021

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Let Creation Breathe

World Aims 2021

This year’s World AIMS theme is ‘Let Creation Breathe’ which looks into the environment we live in and the impact of our actions and behaviours on nature. There was a whole host of activities during the week which aimed to get the pupils thinking about their immediate environment and what they do to impact it. On site, pupils could be seen investigating the school grounds for lichen which indicates the local air quality. Some types thrive in polluted areas where they can suck in the CO2 whereas others only like to grow in clean air. Pupils also took a quiz to to assess their carbon footprint, made paper sculptures, and composed nature-inspired music. At the Cookery School, Mrs Taylor showed groups how to make an apple, orange and courgette cake to encourage them to cook delicious food with local, sustainable ingredients that are readily available in Cornwall. There were over 400 ingredient packs made up for pupils to take home to make themselves to share with their families. Elsewhere, groups headed off on trips around the county to learn more.

At the Eden Project, a charity that focuses on sustainability and education, the children were guided around the rainforest biome to discover just how reliant humans are on the rainforest’s resources and how they are exploited for people’s gain, leading to global warming. They were shocked to find out the huge amounts of palm oil used in every day products that we take for granted, like toothpaste. Along the coast path from Chapel Porth to Perranporth, students could be seen walking the cliffs to take in the coastal surroundings around them and to appreciate what’s on our doorstep. It also served as a reminder how being in nature and fresh air can help calm us, especially if we are feeling stressed. Finally, everyone in the school community made a pledge on how they are going to play their part in everyday life to protect our world. These ranged from not using single use plastics, recycling more, drinking tap water, and eating locally sourced vegetables as well as planting them. Watch the Truro School World Aims video

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Jayne Grigg (TS 1992 - 2021) Headmasters’ Tributes

Jayne was already established in the front office when Guy arrived to take up his Headship. She had been appointed, I think, by Barry Hobbs but had in fact worked under Brian Jackson in his year as Acting Head. We must have visited the school in the spring and I remember that Jayne made an immediate impression: her great height and elegance, her smiling welcome and relaxed air - I even think she might have been knitting! We fell under her spell on sight. She and Guy would joke that life was never as relaxed as that for the next eight years. Jayne started as a secretary but quickly became the Head’s indispensable support and personal assistant. As the years rolled on she became the source of all information about students and parents, staff and chefs, grounds men and librarians. She would know when they arrived, who their children were, where they lived. The school archive resided in Jayne’s head! Hers was the first bright voice on the phone for nervous new parents and often the escort for their prospective visit. She held all the information and the answers

to most of their questions. She charmed them with her warmth and enthusiasm. You can see why she was so natural a promotion to Admissions Secretary. And that height - pity the poor parent who was vertically challenged! She once told me about a Heads’ Secretaries’ conference she attended where the discussion moved to how one deals with difficult people in the school office. “I just stand up!” was Jayne’s answer to the problem. When computers came on the scene Guy often wrote letters in the evening on his new-fangled Amstrad and I recall him saying that Jayne objected strongly to such an act of independence. How could she keep track of the place if she didn’t type all important correspondence? And he often laughed about her late departure to the labour ward when Amelia’s arrival was imminent: “Now don’t make any important decisions whilst I’m away!” We laughed about those remarks but they were evidence of her total commitment to the school and all the headmasters that she served. She was reliable and loyal to each one of them in a truly professional way, never passing on tittle tattle or repeating the gossip about their idiosyncrasies. They all had complete confidence in Jayne. She was the rock who made the office of her Heads’ lives an area of minimal stress. They all respected, appreciated and loved her for that. Have a happy retirement Jayne!

Helen Dodd on behalf of the late Guy Dodd Truro School Head 1993 - 2001

The name Jayne Grigg has become so synonymous with Truro School that it is difficult to imagine the place without her. Fortunately so great is the legacy she will leave and so effective has her training of several Heads been, that she will leave knowing she has created a lasting and considerable foundation. Like Heads before, and after me, I have much to thank Jayne for in guiding and supporting me throughout my time at the school. The true story that best sums up the role of Jayne that comes to mind may be familiar but bears repeating. In my early days as Head of Truro School I was invited to take an assembly at the Pre-Prep. As is usual I was introduced to the intimidating young throng by Anne Allen, the Headmistress, as the guest of the day. Anne asked if anyone knew who I was and after a few moments of silence, suggestions were forthcoming – “Mr. Lovett (Head of Prep)“; ”Charlie Brown’s Dad (Charlie was our Labrador)”; and “he lives with Mrs. Smith”. A hand went up at the back of the hall from a charmingly confident young lady – and a Miss Amelia Grigg pronounced “I know him; he works for my Mum.”

TRURO SCHOOL ASSOCIATION Out of the mouths of babes and never a truer word! I enjoyed ten years working for Jayne and throughout that time marvelled at her efficiency as befits someone Foreign Office trained, her capacity for hard work and, most of all, her commitment and devotion to all matters Truro School. Her knowledge of the Cornish folk and their ways was legendary and not only would I have my diary for each day complete with the names, relations, and contacts of everyone I was to meet but almost my script was prepared in advance, and woe betide if I let a prospective pupil slip through our fingers. Jayne regarded every pupil lost to Truro School as inexplicable and unforgivable – how could anyone contemplate sending their child anywhere else?! However, it says volumes that Jayne has been so active in helping establish the Truro School Foundation and been integral to the building of the Guy Dodd Bursary Award that reflects the care and compassion she has for every child aspiring to a Truro School education.

THE TRURONIAN promoted Jayne to the role of Director of Admissions and invited her onto the Senior Management team where her knowledge and empathetic understanding of Truro School could really be utilised to the full. However even this did not fully extend the range of Jayne’s engagement as she scoured the globe to find pupils for the school. Of course Jayne’s amazing energy was not stretched by merely running Truro School for she has also been a loving mother to Amelia and Robert and wonderful wife to Shelton, who incidentally she has helped build their house in their “spare time”. No doubt Jayne will prove to be an equally devoted grandmother and I am certain that Truro School will continue to be in her heart and thoughts throughout retirement. She deserves a long and fulfilled retirement but, somehow, I do not think it is in her nature for it to be a time of relaxation.

Paul Smith Truro School Head 2001 - 2013

As the fourth Headmaster (counting Brian Jackson’s spell as interim Head 1992 -1993) who had the pleasure of working with Jayne, one of the best decisions I made was to ‘get rid of her’ as my PA and promote her to my Senior Leadership Team. Jayne is smart, strategic, dedicated, does the work of two people, and always with a smile and a rather wicked sense of humour.  There wasn’t a day that I didn’t hugely enjoy working with Jayne and having been a great colleague, I now count her as a dear friend. Whatever next she turns her hand to, any reference that I write will need to come with a health warning to brace themselves for a whirlwind of energy, enthusiasm, efficiency and good cheer!

Inevitably over time the working relationship between a PA and the Head becomes very close and I soon learned that if I dictated a letter in haste and ill-judged, Jayne would not have time to send it and would politely enquire the next day if I had reconsidered the tone of my correspondence – and I invariably had! When I took over from Guy as Head he told me that Jayne did far too much and worked far too hard but he did not recommend taking any responsibility from her. Andrew Gordon-Brown wisely

always been to tell our story to prospective families in Cornwall, in the UK, and indeed all over the world. She has Truro School in her blood and as a Director of Admissions she is the best in the business. Perhaps testament to how much she is loved and admired is the fact that long after a prospective parent has become a current parent, they still seek Jayne out to answer questions. She leaves Truro School in the best possible shape to continue to be a beacon of excellence in Cornwall.

Well done Jayne on an awesome innings!

Andrew Gordon-Brown Truro School Head 2013 - 2020 Headmaster, Kingswood School, Bath It’s impossible to overstate the wonderful and massive contribution that Jayne has made to Truro School and our wider community of parents, friends and alumni over so many years. Her first love has

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Dear Alumni After 29 years at Truro School, I have decided it is time to have a change of scene and one that, I hope, will allow me to devote just a little bit more time to my family. Friday 9 July was my last day in school and what a bittersweet moment it was. Whilst I am excited about my next steps, I will miss the staff and pupils of Truro School tremendously. It has played a huge part in my life; indeed, as Robert CO16 and Amelia CO14 went through the school from Nursery to Upper Sixth, it has played a huge part in the life of the Grigg family. Over that time there have been some terribly sad moments when I have watched the Truro School community pull together to support each other as only a tight-knit and caring family can do. But there have been some hilarious moments as well, too many “Remember when…?” moments to mention. I am regularly amazed to read within these pages every year the fantastic achievements of our Alumni and equally amazed to realise I remember them taking their entrance exam in the Red Room, trying hard not to drop the egg during their 1st Year Induction Day, watching their plays, concerts, art exhibitions and sporting matches or watching them open their A-Level results and say “Goodbye”. Except we never let anybody really leave the Truro School community and I sincerely hope that it will be the same for me. I offer my sincere appreciation to all of our Alumni for making my work with the Development Office so very enjoyable but to those who are CO93 onwards, a huge “Thank You” for being part of a very special and enjoyable 29-year career at Truro School. With best wishes, Jayne Grigg

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A selection of farewell messages received for Jayne Dear Jayne,

I will always remember your smiling, welcoming face when we used to come to Mr Dodd’s office for hot chocolate every Tuesday break time as Senior Prefects. The fact you still remember every child even 20 years later is a phenomenal feat! Take care and all the best. Truro School won’t be the same without you! Nicola Nicola Alesbrook (neé Simpson) CO97 Oh Jane, so much I could say, but briefly “I couldn’t have done it without you!” You have been totally vital to Harvey, Bonnie and Monty becoming integral parts of Truro school, your support meant so much to me when I needed it most. Thank you again - I will never forget it xxx Elaine Bayley-Skinner Former Parent Hi Jayne You were so instrumental in getting me into school, arranging for my entrance exams to be done in an army camp over in Canada and helping us get everything sorted ready to start when we moved back to the UK, so thank you for that. You were always a smiley, welcoming face around the Head’s office and will be a huge loss to the school. Good luck with retirement and your next steps. Gemma Passmore CO01 Good luck Mrs Grigg! Wishing you the very best in your new adventure. Thanks for all your help during my admissions process, I looked forward to all your e-mails while I was in Nigeria. It was a pleasure to finally meet you when I got to Truro! Nnebe Okoli CO14

A truly wonderful lady, always there to greet me for my scoldings by the headmaster with a cheeky smile and gentle words of wisdom about behaving better. Thank you Jayne, you were more of a hero than you can know.

Harry Fonseca Williams CO10 So, 29 years! During all this time, Jayne has been the glue that has kept the Truro School community together. Crossing all the boundaries, in reality overseeing Head Teachers, Governors, Staff, Parents and Pupils in her various roles even though her actual job title might not have extended to quite such a position! Doing so with great tact, efficiency and diplomacy, but also with quiet, but effective, authority. My own knowledge of Jayne was not just as a parent but also through her work making sure our governors’ meetings ran smoothly. I’m sure at times it must have seemed to any observer that she was a Head of Year overseeing an unruly class, but for those of us who knew other committee meetings in other areas of life, the TS meetings were a welcome contrast in terms of smooth running and positive outcomes; much due to the quality of paperwork and prior organisation. I lost count of the number of times I’d turn up with missing papers, but a quick detour to Jayne’s office would plug the gap immediately, usually accompanied by advance briefing on some helpful background info for use in the meeting. More widely, Jayne’s work attracting new admissions was in some ways the most critical role in the school, ensuring and safeguarding its future. In this work too, Jayne excelled, keeping numbers up in bad times as well as good ones. Jayne, I’m sure you have a hell of a book to write about these 29 years. Equally I’m sure many hope you won’t. Good luck in the next phase of your life. Christopher Smith CO70, OT parent, Former Governor

Jayne/ ‘Mumma Grigg’,

I will be forever thankful to know you and call you an important person in my life. Not only for birthing one of my greatest friends (Amelia), but for your input in giving me a wonderful education which brought amazing friendships and opportunities. I can honestly say I would not be where I am today without your support and influence and I will always be very grateful for that. I wish you all the best with your next chapter and the excitement/ adventures that being a ‘Nanna’ will bring. I know you won’t take it easy because that’s just not you but try to relax and enjoy yourself because you totally deserve it. Love you loads, Kiani Kiani Pay CO13 Dear Jayne, Best wishes for a well-deserved bit of relaxation in your retirement! I remember you fondly from my time at Truro School. Love, Daisy Daisy Kemp CO11 (Head Girl 2010-11) I’d like to wish Jayne all the best for the next chapter of her life after an AMAZING 29 years serving Truro School and its pupils. Mrs Grigg was fundamental in supporting my transition into Sixth Form and being such a warm and friendly presence around School. Her beaming smile is contagious and I feel lucky to call her a friend even after all these years. Mrs Grigg was a key factor in my enjoyment of Truro School Sixth Form and I always enjoyed our yearly catch ups at Royal Cornwall Show to check in on each others lives. I’d like to wish her and her family all the best for the future. Love Harriett, Will and Rupert. Harriett Ferris (née Robinson) CO07

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Old Truronian Obituaries

(Truro School notification received: March 2021 – July 2021)

Truro School Chapel : Stained glass window

THE REV CANON MICHAEL BOURDEAUX (TS 1942 - 1952) F.M. ANTHONY (TONY) COLLINS (TS 1942 - 1950) RICHARD JOHN NICHOLLS (TS 1950 - 1955) PATRICK JONATHON VICKERS (TS 1960 - 1967) LEIGH ST JOHN WEBB (TS 1949 - 1956) REGINALD CYRIL WOODWARD (1943 - 1949)

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Tributes and Memories

The Rev Canon Michael BOURDEAUX CO52 (1934 - 2021) the boat” and undermined quiet diplomacy. Yet, while rejecting Soviet misinformation and doublespeak, Bourdeaux also refused to take up an anticommunist crusade: his approach was balanced, even-handed and based on facts.

Michael Bourdeaux, who has died aged 87, founded Keston College in Bromley, South-East London, in 1969 as a centre for the study and dissemination of reliable information about religion in communist countries. He described the college in his memoirs as “my concept”, and poured into it his “energy and commitment over a period of 30 years”. It was an organisation that rattled the Soviet authorities; indeed Oleg Gordievsky, the Soviet double agent who once worked for the KGB and escaped to the west in the boot of a car, claimed at a Keston AGM that it was No 2 in the hierarchy of KGB hates, the first being Amnesty International. Why was Keston so disliked? It uncovered unpalatable facts about the true situation of religious believers behind the iron curtain, and it demolished the communist propaganda that there was freedom of conscience in its “brave new world”. The fact that religion persisted undermined party teaching as propounded by leaders such as Nikita Khrushchev, whose 1961 party programme promised that communism would be achieved in 20 years and religion would fade away. In Britain, too, not everyone welcomed Keston: Lambeth Palace, Baptist leaders and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office all shunned it up to the mid1980s and the advent of Mikhail Gorbachev, because it “rocked

Michael was born in Praze, Cornwall, the son of Lilian (nee Blair), a primary school teacher, and Richard Bourdeaux, a baker who, Michael claimed, produced the best Cornish pasties in the county. He studied French and German at Truro School and found he had a facility for languages. His lifelong interest in Russia and its history and culture began thanks to a sensible RAF group captain, who at the start of national service sent him to a Russian interpreters’ course in Coulsdon, Surrey. Then it was off to St Edmund Hall, Oxford, and a degree in Russian, followed in 1959 by a year at Moscow University as part of the first student exchange programme organised by the British Council. That year was an important milestone in Soviet history, when Khrushchev launched an intense anti-religious campaign, and Bourdeaux witnessed the closure of churches and discrimination against religious believers. The experience led him to make religion in the USSR the focus of his life. After studying theology at Wycliffe Hall, Oxford, he was ordained an Anglican priest in 1961. In 1964, on a brief visit to Moscow, he met two babushki at a site where overnight a church had been blown up. He was taken to meet a group of Russian Orthodox believers who described what was happening to them, and asked him to “be our voice and speak for us”. Five years later Keston was founded, with the help of Peter Reddaway and Leonard Schapiro, two LSE academics.

Bourdeaux was one of the few who foresaw the collapse of the communist system. In 1984 he was awarded the Templeton prize (at that time given by the Templeton Foundation for “progress in religion”), and in his speech at the Guildhall in London he formulated his conviction that a combination of religion and nationalism would bring down the Soviet system: “I see an empire in the process of decay because there’s no binding loyalty which will keep it together.” A year later Gorbachev was elected general secretary by the politburo and a period of reform began, which led in 1988 to a volte-face by the Communist party on its religious policy. This, to Bourdeaux, marked the end of communism. That year he attended the celebrations of the millennium of the Russian Orthodox church, and recorded in his memoirs the evening he spent at the Bolshoi theatre, where a real set of bells had been mounted as though in a church tower: “A curtain rolled back to reveal the bells, which rang out in a peal of thunder. No one in the theatre, Christian or atheist, could have missed the symbolism: for years the authorities had banned the ringing of church bells, usually even removing them from their stays and throwing them to the ground. Surely this was a pledge of a new beginning for the church in society.” From Keston’s inception, it studied the present and the past: highquality, well-researched journalism as well as academic study of the past were the focus of its work. Its reporting earned the respect of the media – if information came from Keston it was trusted. At the same time, Bourdeaux understood the importance of an archive,

TRURO SCHOOL ASSOCIATION of gathering primary sources, samizdat documents, articles from the official and unofficial press in communist countries, as well as photographs and even antireligious posters. This collection, the Keston archive, is a treasure trove for scholars studying the religious history of the former communist bloc. Keston College found a home in the early 1970s in what had been the parish school of Keston Common. The village belonged to the diocese of Rochester, which in 1990 made Bourdeaux an honorary canon. In 1994 Keston Institute, as it became, moved to Oxford, and gained a sister organisation in the US when in 2007 Baylor University in Texas offered to establish a new Keston Center for Religion, Politics and Society, and to house the Keston library and archive. This center and Keston UK today work in tandem, promoting the study of religion in former communist countries. Bourdeaux’s first wife, Gillian (nee Davies), whom he married in 1960, died in 1978. He is survived by his second wife, Lorna (nee Waterton), whom he married in 1979, and their children, Adrian and Lara; by Karen and Mark, the children of his first marriage; and by four grandsons.

THE TRURONIAN Michael was a lovely man who was committed to a belief in the simple necessity and power of truth up to his life’s end. Our friendship spanned from 1985 with my election to the Athenaeum-Michael having been elected a few years previously and flourished from the outset in finding ourselves as the flag carriers for St Piran at 107 Pall Mall for more than 30 years and bridge partners when both in town for nearly as long. With our respective boarding years at Truro School there were so many conversation hares running, it was hard to know which ones to chase.

Archbishop of Canterbury.”

Tribute by Jonathan Ball CO65

His funeral tributes at St Mary’s Iffley spoke of how his Truro years forged his love of Methodist hymns with his chosen ‘And Can It Be That I Should Gain‘ Charles Wesley’s timeless words sung to the rousing Sagina tune ringing out in testimony of how those years established his values and the direction his future would take, a career that saw him recipient in 1984 of the Templeton Prize, following in the footsteps of Mother Theresa and Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn.

In the briefing pack produced when he was awarded the Templeton prize, Bourdeaux was described as “a mild, soft-spoken, ruddy-cheeked baker’s son from a remote mining region in southwest England”. He commented in his memoirs: “Well, at least the ‘baker’s son’ was accurate.”

Of all my cherished memories to share I think it must be his 70th Birthday Dinner in 2004 for a small gathering of friends at his old Oxford College, Teddy Hall, given by Keston College to mark his retirement and as a token of esteem. The new Keston Council Chairman presented Michael on the evening with a handsome scrapbook full of letters they had invited from his wide international circle of admirers.

Michael Alan Bourdeaux, theologian, activist and writer, born 19 March 1934; died 29 March 2021.

On my asking, Michael gave me a copy of the opening page tribute - mighty words from one man of great achievement to another......

Tribute by The Guardian newspaper

in his commitment to religious freedom for all in every political and national order. If we have cause to thank him in this country, how many more are in his debt for more deeply elsewhere in the world? He has been an immense inspiration, and deserves all the gratitude and honour we can pay.

“For decades, Michael has held a unique position as an interpreter of Eastern European religious life to the English-speaking world. He has been consistently brave and candid when there were no rewards for this, and visionary

Michael Bordeaux was a theologian and critic of communism who should be hailed as an outstanding old Truronian. My abiding memory of Michael was his kindness to a new scholarship dayboy, me, in the quad at Truro School in my first term in 1951. He was a school prefect who somehow radiated a concern about his young charges that emboldened me to ask him a question about some arcane item of school protocol. He treated me with respect and delivered his answer as though addressing an equal. I have never forgotten that brief exchange and learned much about civilised behaviour from it. RIP.

Tribute by Gordon Olson CO58

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F.M. Anthony (Tony) COLLINS CO50 (1931 - 2020)

year in the Mediterranean for six years but Tony didn’t enjoy British winter weather so we sailed the Atlantic in 1988 with Guy leaving from Mogan, Gran Canaria and arriving in Antigua three weeks later. We sailed in the West Indies where in the fort on the Isles de Saintes (Tony cheekily wrote in the visitors book “Look out the British are coming!”), Virgin Islands, Turks and Caicos and the Bahamas continuing on to Florida.

He attended Bristol University in 1951 with the aim of becoming a Civil Engineer. However due to too many students on the course, he did his two years National Service in the Royal Air Force. He signed up as aircrew and became a pilot flying first in a small Auster’s and Tiger Moths and eventually, Meteor jets. He was made an officer and invited to stay on in the RAF as a PA. His original intention was to finish his studies at the university but flying gave him a new ambition to become a civil pilot to see something of the world and he joined BOAC in May 1954.

Guy, also was educated at Truro School, became a Saturation Diver in the North Sea but he was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma in 2001 and died in March 2011 from this disease. He was married and had three sons.

Tony was born in Portscatho on 28th September 1931. He was at Truro School from 1942 to 1950 and, I gather, enjoyed both learning and sports. He played in the rugby team, did cross-country running and by all accounts, ran quite fast a fast mile.

He received further trained BOAC and also gained the necessary navigation Licence required at the time. He flew with the Air Line for 27 years and flew in Constellations, Brittania’s, VC10’s and, lastly, the Lockheed Tri-start 500. In 1956 Tony and I married and during his working years we had raced in various dinghy types. While living in Highcliffe, Hants (now Dorset) our son, Guy CO77 was born in 1959. Tony brought plans and built our first cruiser, “Westerner I” in our back garden. We moved back to Cornwall in 1964 and in this small 24ft boat once sailed up the coast to Salcombe and across to the Channel Islands. We also raced locally with St Mawes Sailing Club.  Tony took early retirement, aged 52 in order to indulge his love of sailing and he bought a French boat – a Dynamique 44 with a lifting keel - “Westerner IV”. We cruised for six months of the

When we knew Guy was so unwell, Tony brought a French Tobago Catamaran which we kept on a mooring in Puerto Pollenca Mallorca. We sold “Westerner IV” in the states. We mainly used “Westerner V” as a floating home. During all these cruising years the family had been able to join us for holidays from time to time.  Tony and I were married for 64 years but, sadly his last 5 years were difficult for him due to various heart problems and what the medics termed Parkinsonism. He died peacefully at home on 2nd October 2020 a few days after his 89th birthday.

Reginald Cyril WOODWARD CO50 (1932 - 2021)

Reginald passed away at Treliske Hospital on 3rd April 2021, aged 89. During the 1980s Cyril proudly held the post of Chairman of the Truro School Former Pupils’ Association. Reginald leaves behind wife Joan, son Winston CO93 and daughter Catherine. He will be missed by all his family and friends.

Patrick Jonathon VICKERS CO67 (1948 - 2021)

Tribute by Brenda Collins, Tony’s widow

Patrick passed away peacefully at St Julia’s Hospice in Hayle after a short illness. He spent his career in the caring profession, both for the youth and the elderly before retiring in 2003. A devoted husband, father and grandfather who will be sadly missed by all that knew him.

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THE TRURONIAN obtaining various tickets which, when he returned to Scilly, allowed him, on at least 60 occasions, to be relief officer on RMV Scillonian 11 and 111.

Richard John NICHOLLS CO57 (1939 - 2021)

John was the only son of Richard John (Jack) Nicholls and Catherine (Carrie) Tremethic Richards at Bant’s Carn, St Mary’s, Isles of Scilly. His father was a farmer and his mother worked in the St. Mary’s Paper Shop. He was educated at Carn Thomas School before completing his secondary schooling as a boarder at Truro School. Following his love of the sea, John then went on to Cadet Training at Warsash College. It was during his time there that, as a 17 year-old in 1956, he was one of 15 cadets to crew the ketch ‘Moyana' in the first Tall Ships Race, from Torbay to Lisbon, which they won on handicap. Upon their triumphant return they ran into the tail-end of a hurricane and began to ship water. The Master decided to abandon ship and their SOS was sighted by an RAF Shackleton of Coastal Command who alerted the ship ‘Clan Mclean’ to scramble off the crew via cargo nets, landing them in Fowey. The episode - shown on Pathe News at the island cinema with John among the rescued crew on the Fowey quayside - caused the patrons to rise to their feet and applaud. His mother’s reaction was markedly different “Now I hope he gets a sensible career”. The episode was commemorated in the name of John’s home which he named ‘Moyana’. This year is the drama’s 65th anniversary and John would have attended a Falmouth commemorative event in August. After cadet training at Warsash he shipped in the Merchant Navy with the Union Castle and Clan lines,

In October 1961 John married and had two daughters Catherine (February 1962) and Lesley (November 1963). After a spell away from the sea (during which the marriage was dissolved) he returned to Scilly and the sea, running the ‘Silver Cloud’ and the ‘Apollo’, the islands’ first speed boat, controversially, as an independent pleasure boatman at a time of the co-operative “Association” Formation. These were perhaps his happiest years. Having married Mary in 1972 the couple bought what is now Jack’s Bar to run a restaurant ‘Trevisky’. Taking the lease of Star Castle Hotel followed, Mary the business head, John a perfect ‘front of house’ telling outrageous tales which nobody believed but everyone loved. After selling the lease of the 16thC castle they bought the former Godolphin Hotel and re-named it St. Mary’s Hall Hotel. Many former guests of both hotels sent letters of condolences when they heard of his passing. Over time, John owned a series of boats, all with the ‘Cloud’ suffix or prefix, (Flying Cloud, Blue Cloud, Island Cloud, Cloud Nine and his pride and joy, a 42-ft Nelson motor yacht, Sea Cloud of Scilly). There were trips to France and boating around the islands and Falmouth. He became the Marine Pilot to the Islands and Mount’s Bay in 1989, a highlight was in 1992 piloting from the Bishop Rock lighthouse to St Mary’s harbour the Aga Khan’s transatlantic record breaker Destriero and later accompanying the original 1986 record holder, Richard Branson, to Sardinia for the presentation of the Virgin Atlantic Challenge Trophy to the Aga Khan.

being presented with the Gold Badge by Princess Alexandra. John was Launching Authority on the occasion of the 1983 helicopter crash “One of the worst days of my life” he would say. He was also a director of the Isles of Scilly Steamship Company and was the Council’s examiner for boat licenses. John became a widower in 2004, but remarried Susie whom he knew from her frequent visits to the islands following an initial meeting when he was an officer on RMV Scillonian. John retired from his pilotage role the same year. They lived in Moyana surrounded by dogs, cats and ponies, occasionally moving to their second home on the mainland, at St.Mawes. Following a stroke, John died at Treliske hospital on May 10, 2021. His body was brought home to Scilly on RMV Scillonian, the RNLI paying a valedictory tribute by guiding the ship into harbour and the funeral took place on 22 May at St. Mary’s Methodist Church, the Rev Michael Pullan officiating. Fellow seaman Captain Sam Guy read the eulogy and former islands’ pilot Jeremy Phillips reflected on John’s life. His coffin was carried by St Mary’s lifeboatmen to the Old Town cemetery where he was interred. He leaves a widow Susie, two children by his first marriage Catherine (Ferris) and Lesley (Wilkinson), five grand-children Oliver Ferris CO08, Alex, William, Jack and Natasha and five greatgrandchildren, Willow, William, Alexander, Harper and Darcie. A sixth great -grand child, Beau, was born after John died.

Taken from the eulogy of Richard John Nicholls

He was, for 27 years, a respected secretary /operations manager of the St Mary’s RNLI Station, in 2008

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Leigh St John WEBB CO56 (1938 - 2020)

Leigh Webb, who died on Christmas Eve, was born in Winchester on June 30 1938. His father Percy owned a butcher’s shop on Andover Road opposite Richardson’s the Chemist and Optician, the daughter Carol became Leigh’s wife. Both their families attended Nethercliffe Prep School. Leigh went on to boarding school in Truro, and was made deputy head boy. He also played rugby and tennis and swam for his school. At Bristol University Leigh studied chemical engineering and gained a second-class honours degree and also a subsidiary degree in economics. The second year of his National Service was spent as a 2nd Lieutenant in Malaya. Having never been out of England this was a great adventure and started his love of travelling. Leigh worked for Distillers Co. in Tonbridge but was asked to work in their head office in London, an office job which he hated. He applied to work for Esso Fawley so he and the family would be nearer their relations in Winchester. They lived in Lymington which they loved, Leigh doing very well at Esso. His elder brother Keith persuaded Leigh to join his father Percy and uncle Charles at the small poultry business in Winnall as he wanted to start a frozen food business.

THE TRURONIAN Leigh, Carol and family, moved to Shawford where they lived happily for 20 years.

In the early years Webbs supplied Marks and Spencer, Waitrose, Sainsbury’s, Tesco and others.

Meanwhile Leigh evolved a means of cooking ‘Old Hens’ which his father specialised in, buying from egg farms locally. Leigh acquired a huge cooker and some ladies to strip the meat and sell on to pie firms. He moved up to Winnall Industrial Estate and after considerable difficulties started to make progress. Even the stock from the cooked birds became transported in a small tanker, purpose built to take the product direct to soup companies.

But Leigh wasn’t happy running such a large company and having newer supermarkets dictating too much, so he accepted a management buy out.

Broilers, roasting chicken, had now become far more popular and took off in a very big way. Winnall had expanded to three factories. This was not sufficient, so Leigh acquired a disused creamery in Okeford Fitzpaine, Dorset and built a new factory. Employees were bused in from all over Dorset. In Lymington, another purposebuilt factory employed the largest number of people locally. A test kitchen was started and another factory was bought in Corby specifically for delicious new products. A beautiful new factory was built at Halneker near Chichester. By now they owned nearly 50 farms and a mill was built to supply specific food for all the chickens they were growing or people were growing for them. A hatchery was needed, but not being an expert himself, he asked Peter Haslam who already supplied Webbs Country Foods from his hatcheries up North, to become partners with him in this concern, just off the M27 near Romsey. Later Webbs acquired a very large factory already processing chicken near Swindon. During a lot of this time, a small engineering business Leigh had bought and saved from closing one Christmas, supplied machinery.

He then spent over 20 years travelling the world and owned property and a boat in New Zealand where he and Carol spent three or four months each winter and also a house in the South of France, both for about 13 years. Very many friends visited and stayed in both houses and all remain close friends to this day. Leigh was extremely generous in giving to many charities but kept this very much under the radar.

Tribute from The Hampshire Chronicle

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Pause For Thought A prayer by Reverend Aubin de Gruchy Lord God   In these times when we have all been coping with fears, anxieties and restrictions caused by the pandemic on top of our regular challenges of finances, work, and relationships, we can find ourselves looking about for someone or somewhere to find help and strength. Remind us that your power is enough to equip us to face our greatest concerns and needs and your love enough, even for those needs that might seem insignificant to others. Remind us that you care about what happens to each one of us and that you watch over us day and night. May we grow in our ability to trust you in all circumstances, knowing that you will not fail us.   In Jesus’ name we pray,  Amen  Aubin de Gruchy (Revd) Chaplain and World Aims Coordinator

GUY DODD BURSARY AWARD APPEAL The Guy Dodd Bursary Award Appeal, in memory of our former Foundation Chairman and Truro School Headmaster, will close on 31 August 2021. If you intended to donate to this bursary campaign, but have not yet managed to complete your gift, please use the link provided below. 100% of all donations help to support children to attend Truro School, who would otherwise not be able to do so, due to family financial circumstances.

Together, we can transform a child’s life. Any gift, no matter how big or small, will contribute to a transformational bursary and honour Guy, who was so passionate about Truro School Foundation.

DONATE ONLINE Or send your gift to: Truro School Foundation Tower Office, Truro School Trennick Lane Truro TR1 1TH